Tajik President Emomali Rahmon received Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Wednesday as he began his visit to the Central Asian country. Fidan later met his counterpart Sirojiddin Muhriddin in Dushanbe and spoke to reporters. The top diplomat, who was in neighboring Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday, highlighted the importance of stability and security in the region and said Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan would end their border dispute formally in March, without elaborating.
Fidan's visit is part of Turkish diplomatic efforts to bolster ties with Central Asia, with Turkic states whose main body will be presided over by Bishkek this year.
The minister said Türkiye and Tajikistan had unshakable bonds dating back years and that they were determined to enhance relations at every level and field through the common will and initiative of leaders of the two countries. He said they were working to improve economic ties, as well as cooperation on security, education and tourism. He said his talks with Tajik officials on Wednesday also concentrated on more opportunities for Turkish businesspeople in Tajikistan. He added that they exchanged views on how to remove obstacles to further commerce and investment between the two countries. He said they were planning to hold a joint economic committee meeting soon to that extent.
The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), which Fidan once chaired, is among the most active Turkish agencies in Tajikistan. Fidan said TIKA's work was appreciated in Tajikistan, and this was conveyed to him by Rahmon during their meeting.
"We are proud and determined to continue TIKA's activities in the country," he said.
On education, Fidan said they discussed the admission of more Tajik students to Turkish universities, citing high demand from the Tajik side. He added that they also conveyed Türkiye's request to expand the activities of Türkiye's Maarif Foundation, an education nonprofit in Tajikistan. Maarif operates an international chain of Turkish schools, including those seized from the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), which ran a similar network in the past.
Fidan stated that he also discussed regional developments in his talks. He announced that Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan would end their border dispute formally in March, which would be an important step for the region's security and stability.
Last year, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan agreed to demarcate 47 kilometers (29.2 miles) of their border. A statement by the Kyrgyz Cabinet of Ministers in December said that delegations from the governments of both countries had been meeting since Friday in the city of Batken in southwestern Kyrgyzstan.
"The parties will continue to work on describing the remaining areas at the next meeting, which will take place on the territory of the Republic of Tajikistan," the statement further said. The statement also said that a corresponding protocol was signed by both sides following the meeting, adding that talks took place in "an atmosphere of friendship and mutual understanding."
Tensions have been present between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, primarily stemming from a border dispute, as well as matters related to irrigation, smuggling and illegal border crossings. This dispute has led to clashes between both countries, the latest of which broke out at a disputed section of their border in the Batken region on Sept. 14, 2022. While 503 kilometers of the 970-kilometer border is well defined, the Kyrgyz and Tajik governments have not yet resolved their border dispute.
Tajikistan also shares a border with Afghanistan and ties with Afghanistan came up in Fidan's talks in Dushanbe. Fidan said Türkiye was cooperating with regional countries to ensure stability in Afghanistan. Reiterating that Tajikistan has long borders with Afghanistan, Fidan said Tajikistan is focused on protecting its borders from terrorism and its territory from terrorist attacks.
Fidan stressed that Turkish and Tajik security forces would collaborate against radical organizations, indicating the existence of a mechanism in this regard.
Fidan said President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan planned a visit to Tajikistan this year.
