Russia and Tajikistan have taken another important step in their relations — on October 8, Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Tajikistan’s capital, Dushanbe, on a state visit. This was reported by Sputnik Tajikistan. Putin’s visit will last three days — from October 8 to October 10. According to presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, the itinerary includes three parts: the state visit, the “Russia–Central Asia” summit, and the CIS summit.
State visit and key meetings
The initial segment of the state visit is scheduled for October 8–9. Putin laid a wreath at the statue of Ismoil Somoni, located in the “Dostlik” square in central Dushanbe, and held an informal evening meeting with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon. Tomorrow, on October 9, at the “Palace of Nations,” the two nations’ leaders will begin official negotiations — first in a narrow format, then in an expanded format.
Ushakov emphasized that the Russian delegation includes more than 20 government members. Among them are Deputy Prime Ministers Alexey Overchuk and Marat Khusnullin, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov, and others. The talks will cover a broad range of issues related to political, security, economic, and regional cooperation.
“In particular, migration issues will also be discussed. That is why Interior Minister Kolokoltsev is included in the delegation,” Ushakov told reporters. At the conclusion of the visit, the presidents will sign a joint statement on deepening strategic cooperation and exchange about 15 documents.
“Russia–Central Asia” Summit
The second historic meeting of the “Russia–Central Asia” summit will begin on October 9 in the afternoon — this is the second summit in this format. The first was held in 2022 in Astana. It brought together the president of Russia and leaders from the five Central Asian states — Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.
The agenda includes six-party cooperation in areas such as trade, economy, finance, industry, energy, and logistics. “Special attention will be paid to tasks related to ensuring regional security given the situation in Afghanistan and the Middle East,” Ushakov said. At the conclusion, leaders will adopt a joint communiqué of over 20 items.
CIS Summit and the new “CIS+” Format
On October 10, Dushanbe will host the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Commonwealth of Independent States. In attendance will be the leaders of Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. The first part of the meeting will be held in a narrow format, with only heads of state and CIS Secretary General Sergey Lebedev participating. Then, during lunch, a session in an expanded format will follow.
At this year’s summit, the adoption of a new “CIS+” format will also be discussed — it envisages the inclusion of other countries into the organization’s activities. Such models are already used in international frameworks like BRICS and the SCO. In his address, Putin will invite CIS leaders to a traditional informal meeting in December in Saint Petersburg. The exact date is not yet known.
Read “Zamin” on Telegram!
