TAJIKISTAN – The Russian president Vladimir Putin arrived in Dushanbe on Wednesday on a 3-day visit to Tajikistan to participate in the Russia-Central Asia summit on Thursday, as well as in the Heads of State Council meeting of the Commonwealth of Independent States on Friday.

Putin hailed the relationship between Russia and Tajikistan, calling the two nations “reliable allies.”

“Indeed, we are constantly working on security and defense, including the difficult situation developing in the region. We are reliable allies. Russia values them greatly and will certainly fulfill all our obligations as an ally,” he said during a one-on-one meeting with his Tajik counterpart Emomali Rahmon.

Expressing his agreement that Russian-Tajik relations are developing “very positively” in all areas, Putin said their trade and economic ties are progressing at a good pace, with the bilateral trade turnover growing by over 17% in the first seven months of this year.

Putin further said that they have also planned a number of important steps during his visit to Tajikistan.

“We must make a joint statement, a substantive one,” Putin said, noting they must define their future approach “in all areas” and “draw up specific plans,” without further elaboration.

“This will certainly be done, as our teams on both sides have prepared well for our meeting,” he added.

For his part, Rahmon expressed pleasure over the “positive momentum” experienced in Moscow-Dushanbe ties, noting they maintain an active political dialogue.

“Trade, economic, cultural, and humanitarian ties are developing successfully: trade turnover continues to grow, and humanitarian projects are being implemented. We cooperate closely in security matters, as well as on the international stage,” Rahmon indicated.