DUSHANBE, April 15, 2013, Asia-Plus – Radio Liberty''s Tajik Service reports that Indian Vice-President, Mr. Mohammad Hamid Ansari, arrived in Dushanbe yesterday on a four-day official visit.

Indian media sources report that during his “goodwill” visit to Tajikistan, Mr. Ansari will discuss ways to further India''s trade and defense ties and other bilateral issues with Tajikistan.

This is the first ever visit by an Indian Vice President to Tajikistan.

The Economic Times reports that Vice-President Ansari will hold high-level talks with Tajikistan''s President Emomali Rahmon and its Prime Minister, Defense Minister and Minister of Economic Development and Trade, among others, to give fresh impetus to bilateral relations.
During the visit, there will be discussions on opening trans-Afghan corridor to facilitate easy movement of goods from inside and outside Tajikistan, The Economic Times reports.

“Both the countries share "close and cordial" relations since two decades of Tajikistan''s independence, Ajay Bisaria, Joint Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, was quoted as saying by The Economic Times.

"Level of trade was low mainly due to difficulty in transportation. We are also in talks for trans-Afghan corridor which will give us special access to Tajikistan. In terms of trade for 2012, trade figures from Tajikistan say it was USD 27 million, which is extremely low," Bisaria said.

On expected deliverables of the visit, he said, "Visits of Vice Presidents are normally goodwill visits and we see them as high level continuation of political dialogues with very close strategic partners in central Asia. Normally, during these visits, we do not have deliverables like agreements".

The Hindu reports that Tajik President Emomali Rahmon has been a regular visitor to India.

“The Tajik President’s last visit, his fifth to India, was in September 2012.  It coincided with the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.  India had played a key role in developing the Ayni airbase and continues to cooperate with Tajik authorities in maintaining it.  The President, who has been at the helm of affairs in hydrocarbon and hydroelectric-rich Tajikistan, had then held wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

“India has also unveiled its Connect Central Asia policy, which includes a proactive multi-pronged diplomatic thrust to expand ties with the energy-rich Central Asian nations — Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan.

“Tajikistan with whom India has strategic ties also holds a crucial place for India, owing to its geo-political position, as it shares borders with China and Afghanistan.

“Mr. Ansari’s visit to Tajikistan is part of high-level contacts which the two countries have maintained over the past two decades. The then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had visited Tajikistan in 2003 and President Pratibha Devisingh Patil’s visit came six years after that. This will be the first visit by an Indian Vice-President. The goodwill visit is expected to further cement bilateral relations,” External Affairs Ministry officials said on Saturday. The low level of trade between India and Tajikistan, which stood at $27 million last year, remains an area of concern for both the nations.”