DUSHANBE, February 19, Asia-Plus - President Emomali Rahmonov and his Russian counterpart, President Vladimir Putin, discussed Tajik-Russian cooperation by phone on Friday, February 16, presidential press service said.  

“In development of regular dialog and strategic partnership, the heads of state discussed the interaction in regional affairs, the implementation of major bilateral trade and economic projects, humanitarian cooperation and other important issues,” Abdufattoh Sharipov, a spokesman for the Tajik president, said, adding that the sides pointed to the necessity of holding the CIS economic in June this year at high level.  They also considered preparations for the SCO summit that will be held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, in August.   .

The sides, in particular, discussed cooperation between Tajikistan and Russia in the field of energy.  During the conversation it was noted that a progress of the construction of the Sangtuda-1 hydropower plant is good.  Rahmonov and Putin also pointed to the necessity of using new mechanisms to speed up the implementation of the Roghun project. 

According to Sharipov, the two also discussed prospects of further cooperation between Tajikistan and Russia in exploring natural-gas reserves in Tajikistan. 

The president also considered regional and international problems being of mutual interest, according to the spokesman.