On Friday July 21, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon received Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov, who arrived in Dushanbe on a working visit.  

The Tajik president’s official website says the parties discussed state and prospects of further expansion of the bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.  

Rahmon and Aripov reportedly mentioned with satisfaction the positive trend of steady development of trade between the two countries.

In this process, diversification and structural expansion of goods and products in the bilateral trade were outlined as one of the most important tasks.

In this regard, Emomali Rahmon pointed to the abundant opportunities in various sectors of industry, energy, transport, agriculture, tourism and other areas of mutual interest, according to the Tajik president’s official website.  At the same time, light and food industry, non-ferrous and ferrous metals, automotive industry, as well as the agro-industrial complex were named as promising directions.

Particular attention was reportedly paid to the active expansion of direct economic relations between economic entities and business circles in the real sector of the economy, further development of cooperation at the regional level.

The parties expressed their desire to expand cultural and humanitarian exchange.

Tajik leader reportedly emphasized the importance of the active work of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission for Trade and Economic Cooperation with a view to reaching the goals of greater strengthening of cooperation between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

The parties expressed their readiness for joint efforts to promote the entire range of relations and cooperation, the Tajik president’s official website concluded.

Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have accumulated many problems after collapse of the Soviet Union.  These problems caused the countries' relations to go into a deep freeze two decades ago, including disputes over water and borders.  The two countries had had the worst bilateral relations in Central Asia.

Relations between the countries have become warmer after Shavkat Mirziyoyev came to power in Uzbekistan in 2016.   Mirziyoyev has said that improving ties with Central Asian nations is a major priority of Uzbekistan’s foreign policy.

Emomali Rahmon and Shavkat Mirziyoyev have met several times since September 2016.  

Earlier in April 2018, Uzbekistan's national airline resumed flights from Tashkent to Dushanbe after a hiatus of some 25 years.  The air communication between Dushanbe and Tashkent was cut off in 1992 at Tashkent’s initiative and the issue of resumption of the direct air communication between the two countries has been raised at meetings between state officials of the two countries more than once.

According to data of the Agency for Statistics under the President of Tajikistan, a two-way trade between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in January-June this year has valued at US$121.149.6 million, which is 15.7 percent fewer than in the same period last year.  This has reportedly consisted of Tajikistan’s exports to Uzbekistan estimated at US$69.558.3 million and Tajikistan’s imports from Uzbekistan worth US$151.591.3 million.