KUWAIT: Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon on Monday heaped praise on his country’s ties with Kuwait, highlighting the “multifaceted” nature of these relations that are based on joint cultural values, in addition to mutual respect and understanding. The spate of bilateral agreements signed as of late would help provide the “framework” for more progress in ties, the president of Tajikistan told state-run Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) in an interview conducted by its Director General Dr Fatma Al-Salem, citing the growing potential for a further expansion in these relations.

He went on to pinpoint crucial sectors running the gamut from healthcare and tourism to energy and agriculture as among those with more room for growth that would prove equally beneficial for the two nations, describing such potential as significant and untapped.

Ahead of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kuwait and Dushanbe due next year, the Tajikistan leader prognosticated that the occasion would give impetus to broader cooperation, saying the two countries already enjoy one another’s “backing” on the international stage. Dushanbe stands ready to employ all tools at its disposal to further strengthen the “camaraderie” shared by Kuwait and Tajikistan, he emphasized, saying that greater trade and economic cooperation represents a “perennial concern” for both sides, while the Tajik economy has grown at an annual rate of more than 7 percent over the past decade.

On such economic growth, the Tajikistan president said his country has been labeled by global bodies as among those to have witnessed robust development, while the Kuwait-based Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development has invested in development projects there worth more than $85 million since 2001, he added. Tajikistan is currently working alongside Kuwait to bolster its financial and banking sectors, which includes the use of green bonds and efforts to expedite a national digital drive, he said, citing the passing of recent legislation aiming to lure foreign investors and cater to their needs through a series of simplified procedures.

On Tajikistan’s international initiatives in water and climate and its recognition as a leading country in this direction, President Rahmon said: “Everyone knows that water is the source of life, and its role is important in the development of humanity.” In modern conditions, water resources worldwide, especially freshwater, are subject to the profound impact of various threats, including climate change, population growth, urbanization and industrialization.

“We support the rationalization of water resources through the implementation of constructive international cooperation,” said Rahmon, adding that his country seeks to achieve the goal of playing an active role in solving water-related problems at the global level by activating the diplomacy of close cooperation in the water sector. He pointed out that this is why Tajikistan has made steady progress on water and climate issues over the past two decades and is playing an important role in the global development agenda.

Tajikistan has adopted five international initiatives, namely International Year of Clean Water (2003), the International Decade for Action: Water for Life (2005-2015), International Year of Water Cooperation (2013), International Decade for Action: Water for Sustainable Development (2018-2028) and the International Year for the Protection of Glaciers (2025), and it has been recognized on the international scene as a leading country in solving global problems related to water and climate, he added. Further, Rahmon hoped that Kuwaiti experts and specialists would also pay attention to this global issue and participate effectively in the upcoming Dushanbe conference. 

On global terrorism and the unprecedented escalation of tensions over at least three decades, and Tajikistan’s position on such situations and ways to resolve them, President Rahmon affirmed that the issues of terrorism and international extremism remain at the top of the international agenda, noting that Tajikistan and Kuwait have common interests in combating terrorism and extremism at both bilateral and international levels. He stated that one of the objectives of his visit to Kuwait is to discuss ways to expand cooperation in fighting terrorism.

On the other hand, the president said the political and security situation in the world, especially in the Middle East and other regions, has become more complicated, especially the current situation in the Gaza Strip in Palestine and Lebanon, which has led to the killing of tens of thousands of civilians, including children and women. He stressed that Tajikistan has a firm position on this issue, as it strongly condemns any acts of violence and killing of civilians and calls for an immediate ceasefire. “We see no solution to these conflicts except through diplomatic and political means and the implementation of UN resolutions, including the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.” — KUNA