AKIPRESS.COM - President of Mongolia Khurelsukh Ukhnaa held official talks with President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon on July 24, Montsame reported.

The two Presidents exchanged views on the prospects for bilateral relations and cooperation, as well as on regional and international issues. Emomali Rahmon congratulated Khurelsukh Ukhnaa on conducting the first-ever state visit since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1992.

The two heads of state noted that this visit carries great importance for elevating their traditional friendly ties to a new level and expanding practical cooperation.

President Khurelsukh highlighted that President Emomali Rahmon's first visit to Mongolia in 2009 laid the historical foundation for relations between the two countries. President Khurelsukh emphasized that the visit made a valuable contribution to the development of bilateral cooperation and stated that Mongolia places particular importance on fostering friendly relations and partnerships with Central Asian countries, including Tajikistan.

The heads of state reviewed the achievements of the past 30 years and reaffirmed their shared aspiration to enrich their relations with new content and expand them in all areas in the coming years.

During the official talks, the two sides expressed their intention to bring cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, agriculture, green development, digital transformation, culture, education, and tourism to a new level by aligning with their respective National Development Policies, "Vision-2050" of Mongolia and "National Development Strategy-2030" of Tajikistan.

To deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, the two sides agreed to work on removing transportation and logistics barriers, creating shorter transport corridors, and gradually exploring opportunities to integrate into regional infrastructure networks.

The Presidents agreed on the importance of producing value-added products in animal husbandry and light industry and implementing projects and programs based on wool, cashmere, cotton, and cotton fabrics. The heads of state also underlined that aligning the White Gold national movement of Mongolia with Tajikistan's policy for developing its cotton and textile industries will be a significant step towards deepening mutually beneficial partnership.

President Khurelsukh expressed Mongolia's readiness to export livestock-based raw materials, particularly halal-certified meat and meat products that meet quality and safety standards, to Tajikistan and to cooperate on enhancing export conditions by meeting veterinary, quarantine, and standard requirements.

President Emomali Rahmon, in turn, proposed active cooperation on importing wool, cashmere, and leather goods from Mongolia and supplying Mongolia with fruits, berries, vegetables, and canned products.

The heads of state agreed on the importance of establishing effective mechanisms to advance bilateral relations and deemed it appropriate to set up an Intergovernmental Commission in the near future and convene its first meeting.

The President of Mongolia and the President of Tajikistan underscored that this would serve as a practical instrument for aligning priority areas of cooperation, implementing joint projects and programs, supporting private sector engagement, and creating a favorable legal environment.

The two Presidents concurred that the first-ever Mongolia–Tajikistan Business Forum and Business Council, to be organized during the visit, will make a significant contribution to fostering connections between entrepreneurs of both countries.

Within the framework of the visit, a Memorandum of Understanding to be signed between the Ministries of Energy of the two countries will focus on expanding cooperation in renewable energy, particularly hydropower, through expert-level consultations, knowledge and experience exchange, and joint projects and programs.

The parties expressed confidence that a cultural and artistic performance to be held in Dushanbe under their patronage will contribute greatly to strengthening mutual trust between the peoples of the two nations and agreed to deepen cooperation in culture and humanitarian fields, as well as to support closer ties in education, sports, and youth exchanges.

The two Presidents also expressed their commitment to expanding cooperation at regional and international levels, particularly within the frameworks of the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and other international organizations.

President Khurelsukh noted that Tajikistan was one of the first countries to join the International Think Tank for Landlocked Developing Countries.

The leader of Mongolia also reaffirmed Mongolia's invitation for Tajikistan to participate at the highest level in the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17), to be held in Ulaanbaatar in 2026.

The two sides agreed that aligning the National Movements of Mongolia, One Billion Trees and Food Safety and Security, with the Programs of Tajikistan, Two Billion Seedlings and Sustainable Agriculture Development Program-2030, will make an important contribution to sustainable development.