DUSHANBE, February 14, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- The United States Ambassador to Tajikistan Kenneth E. Gross, Jr. has informed Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will possibly visit Tajikistan in 2011, according to the Tajik MFA information department.

Zarifi received U.S. Ambassador to Tajikistan Ken Gross on February 11.  In the course of the talks, the sides discussed preparations for the upcoming bilateral consultations and considered issues related to regional security and stabilization of the situation in Afghanistan.

The sides also exchanged views on state and prospects of further expansion of bilateral economic and trade cooperation, strengthening of ties between business communities of Tajikistan and the United States and improvement of investment climate in Tajikistan, the MFA information department said.

We will recall that the United States launched the Annual Bilateral Consultations in 2009 with Central Asian countries in order to discuss the full spectrum of bilateral relationships, including strategic cooperation, human rights, economic issues and regional challenges.