DUSHANBE, July 17, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- Issues related to establishment of parliamentary relations between Tajikistan and Japan were discussed at a meeting of Chairman of the Majlisi Milli (Tajikistan’s upper chamber of parliament) Mahmadsaid Ubaidulloyev with visiting Japanese MP and Parliament Secretary for Justice Yoshihisa Furukawa in Dushanbe on July 15. 

Mr. Furukawa is member of Tajik-Japanese Parliamentary Friendship Association.

Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, Shavkat Saidov, an aide to the upper house speaker for relations with media and NGOs, said that in the course of the talks the two had pointed to the necessity of using potentials of the two countries to expand bilateral parliamentary cooperation.  

Ubaidulloyev, in particular, noted that it is necessary to lay legal foundation of parliamentary relations and the Majlisi Milli is ready to take specific measures in this direction.  

Ubaidulloyev and Furukawa agreed that it is necessary to use experiences of the two countries in implementation of energy and food-production projects, Saidov said.  

Yoshihisa Furukawa, born August 3, 1965, is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature).  He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2003 as independent.