DUSHANBE, December 5, 2012, Asia-Plus  -- On Tuesday December 4, Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrkhon Zarifi met with his Ukrainian counterpart Konstantin Grishchenko in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan on the sidelines of the meeting of the CIS Council of Foreign Ministers.

According to the Tajik MFA information department, the two discussed a broad range of issues related to cooperation between their countries in sectors like energy, education and culture.  The two also discussed cooperation between Tajikistan and Ukraine within regional and international organizations.

On the same day, Zarifi met with his Belarusian counterpart Vladimir Makei.  They reportedly discussed the process of implementation of agreements that were reached during Belarusian president’s official visit to Tajikistan in October last year.  Issues related to bilateral economic, scientific and technical, as well as military-technical and energy cooperation between Tajikistan and Belarus were a major topic of the talks.

The next meeting of the CIS Council of Foreign Ministers took place in Ashgabat on December 4.  The CIS foreign ministers reportedly discussed preparation for the next session of the CIS Council of the Heads of State and exchanged views on a number of international issues being of mutual interest.

More than 10 issues were discussed at the meeting.  The most important document in the area of humanitarian cooperation was a draft decision on the celebrations to mark the 70th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945.  According to the CIS Executive Committee, there are plans to institute an honorary order and a jubilee medal, “70 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945.”

Among other documents in the humanitarian field discussed at the meeting was a draft action plan for 2013-2014 which comprises forums of creative intelligentsia, contests and festivals.  Over 30 international conferences, roundtables and seminars are envisaged for 2013 that will be announced the Year of Ecological Culture and the Environment in the CIS.

The agenda of the meeting also included issues related to cooperation in protecting the environment and enhancing security.