During his working trip to Switzerland, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon on November 5 met with Mr. Ivan Glasenberg, CEO of Glencore International AG, to discuss Tajikistan - Glencore International AG cooperation.

According to the Tajik president’s official website, President Rahmon expressed his satisfaction with the effective partnership between the Tajik Aluminum Company (TALCO) and Glencore International AG that drive bilateral economic cooperation between the two countries forward.

Over the past 12 years, TALCO and Glencore International AG have carried out trade operations worth more than $ 4.7 billion.  Over the next five years, following the reached agreements these two companies are expected to work with $1.5 billion under business cooperation.

Taking into account the existing capabilities of Tajikistan and the potential of Glencore, establishing cooperation in other areas of the national economy will be beneficial for both sides.

During the meeting, the parties reportedly exchanged views on seeking new ways to expand trade and economic cooperation and investment projects, primarily in the implementation of final processing of gold, silver and zinc by Glencore International AG.

On the same day, Emomali Rahmon held talks with Bern Mayor Alec von Graffenried.  They reportedly discussed the issues of expansion and establishment of sister-city relationship with this historical city.

Dushanbe has established sister-city relationship with 18 Central Asian nations, and those in Europe, America, Africa and other CIS member states.

The establishment of sister-city relations with Bern will be a great expansion and will contribute to strengthening friendly ties between the two nations, the development of cultural and scientific exchange, communication and cooperation between the intelligentsia and youth of the two countries, and likewise between higher educational institutions of the cities of Bern and Dushanbe, according to the Tajik president’s official website. 

During the meeting, issues related to the development of cooperation in the areas of tourism infrastructure, technology, and the expansion of bilateral trade, economic and investment relations were also discussed.