Russian President Vladimir Putin is beginning a visit to Tajikistan, which holds the status of a state visit—the highest level in diplomatic protocol.
The program commences on the evening of October 8 with a wreath-laying ceremony at the monument to Ismoili Somoni, who is considered the founder of the first Tajik state. This will be followed by an informal dinner involving the two presidents, Vladimir Putin and Emomali Rahmon.
The next morning, Thursday, October 9, an official welcome ceremony, introductions of the two countries' delegations, and a joint photo session will take place at the Palace of the Nation in Dushanbe.
Following this, the schedule includes a one-on-one conversation between Putin and Rahmon, as well as bilateral talks in an expanded format. The leaders are expected to discuss all areas of cooperation, including politics, security, trade, and social and cultural-humanitarian spheres. They will also exchange views on the most pressing issues of the international and regional agenda.
“Following the talks, the presidents are expected to sign a joint statement on deepening their strategic partnership and alliance relations. It will outline new directions for Russian-Tajik interaction,” stated Yuri Ushakov, an aide to the Russian president.
Subsequently, the delegations will exchange signed documents, and the presidents will make statements to the media. Afterward, as announced by the Kremlin, a state reception will be held with the participation of both delegations.
The Russian Delegation
Putin is accompanied to Dushanbe by a substantial delegation of over 20 individuals. This includes two deputy prime ministers—Alexey Overchuk and Marat Khusnullin.
According to Ushakov, the visit will also include Minister of Defense Andrey Belousov, Minister of Internal Affairs Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, Minister of Justice Konstantin Chuychenko, Minister of Industry and Trade Anton Alikhanov, Minister of Labor Anton Kotyakov, Minister of Education Sergey Kravtsov, Minister of Health Mikhail Murashko, and Minister of Transport Andrey Nikitin.
Also in the delegation are Head of Rosgvardiya Viktor Zolotov, Director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation Dmitry Shugayev, Head of Rospotrebnadzor Anna Popova, Head of Rosatom Alexey Likhachev, General Director of the Russian Export Center Veronika Nikishina, and others.
Multilateral Summits
While in Dushanbe, Putin will also participate in multilateral meetings. For instance, on October 9, the second “Central Asia - Russia” summit will take place. As reported by the Tajik Foreign Ministry, the summit will discuss issues related to the development of multifaceted cooperation. The focus will be on coordinating efforts in the fight against terrorism, extremism, illicit drug trafficking, and other transnational challenges. The summit is expected to conclude with a final communiqué and a joint action plan.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS