DUSHANBE, March 15, Asia-Plus - State and prospects of further expansion of bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and Germany were discussed today in Dushanbe at a meeting of President Emomali Rahmonov with Ms. Hedi Wegener, head of visiting delegation of the German Bundestag.  

According to presidential press service, in the course of the talks the two discussed ways of further expansion of bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and Germany in the sectors like commerce, energy, transportation and communications, which of significant importance for Tajikistan and Central Asia as a whole. 

Rahmonov and Wegener also discussed the new strategy of cooperation between the European Union and Tajikistan, which is expected to have been finished and adopted by July 2007.  They called the strategy an efficient mechanism to promote further development of relations between the two regions of the world, as well as between Tajikistan and Germany.

Rahmonov noted that Tajikistan attaches an important significance to cooperation with the European Union as a whole and bilateral cooperation with its member nations in particular.  The president noted that Germany occupies a special place among them in view of its leading role in Europe and the world, according to presidential press service.  

The sides expressed satisfaction with the preset level and content of Tajik-German cooperation in the various fields, including politics, education, healthcare, mitigation of natural disaster effects, reduction of poverty, strengthening of the border protection, and jointly addressing modern challenges and threats.  

 Rahmonov and Wegener also exchanged views on the present situation in Afghanistan, fight against drug trafficking, as well as regional and international security issues.  

As Germany’s parliament, the German Bundestag stands at the centre of the country’s political life and is its supreme democratic organ of state.

In the last Bundestag elections held on 18 September 2005, 614 Members were elected from five parties. In the current 16th electoral term, the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) forms the largest parliamentary group with 225 seats, followed by the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) with 222 seats. The Free Democratic Party (FDP) parliamentary group holds 61 seats, the Left Party parliamentary group 53 and the Alliance 90/The Greens parliamentary group 51.