Majlisi Milli (Tajikistan’s upper chamber of parliament) Speaker Rustam Emomali, who yesterday arrived in Azerbaijan on an official visit, met with Azerbaijani President Iljam Aliyev the same day.

Tajikistan’s national news agency Khovar says the parties discussed a wide range of issues related to state and prospects of further expansion of bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and Azerbaijan.

They reportedly also noted the contribution of inter-parliamentary ties to further expansion of cooperation between the two countries. 

Emomali and Aliyev also expressed their opinion on the activities of the intergovernmental commission for trade and economic cooperation and favored further intensification of its work, increase in the volume of the bilateral trade, and in this context, they called the creation of the Consultative Council a timely step.

On March 3, Rustam Emomali, who is also the Mayor of Dushanbe, met with Baku Mayor Eldar Azizov.  

Dusahnbe and Baku mayors

The negotiations between them reportedly resulted in signing of a sister agreement between the capitals of the two countries.

It is an indicator of friendly relations, Rustam Emomali noted. 

Rustam Emomali then met with Ms. Sahiba Gafarova, the Speaker of the Milli Mejlis (the unicameral National Assembly) of Azerbaijan.

Tajikistan and Azerbaijan parliament speakers

The parties reportedly discussed state and prospects of inter-parliamentary cooperation between Tajikistan and Azerbaijan.   

Tajik parliament speaker noted that Tajikistan attached significance to friendly relations with Azerbaijan and further expansion of mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.  

Emomali and Gafarova also exchanged views on a number of regional and international issues being of mutual interest and cooperation between Tajikistan and Azerbaijan in the framework of regional and international organizations, especially in the framework of the United Nations. 

It is the third official visit of Rustam Emomali, the son and widely presumed successor to Tajikistan’s incumbent president, abroad.

In early December 2019, he paid an official visit to Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, in his capacity as Mayor of Dushanbe.  In May 2020, Rustam Emomali paid an official visit to the Russian Federation in his capacity as Speaker of the Majlisi Milli. 

Meanwhile, some experts note that these visits of Rustam Emomali signal his emerging role.