Chinese, Tajik FMs agree on strengthening bilateral cooperation

DUSHANBE -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Tuesday that he and Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin reached a broad range of consensuses on deepening China-Tajikistan cooperation in various areas under new circumstances.

Wang made the remarks at a joint press conference with Muhriddin after their talks here in the Tajik capital of Dushanbe.

Wang said the two countries agreed to comprehensively build a community of common development, and take high-level joint construction of the Belt and Road as a main line of activity for speeding up key cooperation projects.

The two sides will set up Central Asia's first Luban Workshop, a worldwide program for technical personnel, in Tajikistan, train high-end workers for Tajikistan, and help boost the country's capability of sustainable development.

China and Tajikistan also pledged to jointly build a community of common security, Wang said, adding that the urgent task now is to coordinate efforts to deal with the changing situation in Afghanistan, stabilize the Tajik-Afghan borders, combat terrorism, and prevent non-regional forces from making waves in Central Asia.

Meanwhile, the two countries will work together to build a community of common health, the Chinese diplomat said, noting that it is critical to be united in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

China will continue to provide vaccines to Tajikistan, help Tajikistan build traditional medicine centers, and improve its medical and healthcare system, he said.

The two sides agreed to jointly oppose politicizing the pandemic and COVID-19 origin tracing, resist "vaccine nationalism," and reject any practices to create "immunity gap," Wang noted.

According to Wang, China and Tajikistan will promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Wang said the two sides agreed to strengthen coordination on international and regional issues, firmly maintain the international order with the United Nations at its core, defend multilateralism, object to interference in the internal affairs of other countries, and oppose unilateralism and bullying practices.