Iran-Tajikistan relations with a sense of kinship

Tehran, May 29, IRNA – Long-lasting cultural, religious, and historical connection between Iran and Tajikistan has prepared a proper ground for Tehran and Dushanbe to expand and deepen their ties despite the external obstruction. Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon is heading a high-profile delegation to Iran on Monday at the invitation of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to sign multiple documents on cooperation between the two nations, among other programs planned for the visit. Raisi paid a visit to Tajikistan in August 2021, weeks into office, to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, where Iran was allowed full membership and signed eight cooperation documents with Tajikistan. Iran-Tajikistan has seen constant growth, with periodical ups and downs, since Tajikistan’s independence in 1991 when Iran became the first country to recognize the ex-Soviet state, which Iran’s Ambassador to Tajikistan Mohammad-Taqi Saberi says is a sign of the depth of Tehran-Dushanbe ties. Iran didn’t leave Tajikistan alone during its difficult days by keeping a strong presence in the country’s reconstruction. Ali-Ashraf Mojtahed Shabestari, the head of the Iran-Tajikistan friendship association who was the first ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the country in the 1990s, told IRNA on Sunday that Tajikistan has a unique status among countries in Iran’s view, and the two countries’ relationship has always been growing except for rare times when it was disrupted by misunderstanding. Delegated to over 70 countries as an Iranian diplomat, Shabestari said that no country is as intimate and dependent on Iran as Tajikistan, a relationship which is derived from historical, cultural, ethnic, and linguistic commonalities. He noted that President Raisi’s decision to choose Tajikistan as the destination of his first presidential trip was of high significance for Tajiks. Weekly or monthly travels of several delegations between the two countries is a sign of increasing expansion of ties and a good future in this regard, he added. So far, Iranian presidents have had 13 trips to Tajikistan and Tajik presidents have visited Iran 17 times, in addition to visits paid by foreign ministers, speakers, and other high-ranking officials. During these visits, Iran and Tajikistan have signed over 170 documents on the construction of hydroelectric plants, roads, and tunnels, as well as trade, TV, and radio, according to Iran’s current ambassador in Dushanbe. Saberi said that Iran and Tajikistan have also had cooperation in the framework of regional organizations, including the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) and Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which was properly manifested in Tajikistan’s support of Iran's ascension to SCO in 2021. Follow us on Twitter @IrnaEnglish