India, Tajikistan agree to enhance cooperation for sustainable water development

Dushanbe   :    India and Tajikistan have reaffirmed their commitment to promote bilateral relations and agreed to enhance economic cooperation, particularly in sustainable water development, an official statement said on Thursday.

Indian Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari, who is on a two-day official visit to Tajikistan, held wide-ranging talks with Tajik Foreign Minister Sirodjidin Muhridin in Dushanbe, with both underlining the need to give further impetus to the ongoing bilateral cooperation in various fields and enhancing mutual cooperation in the area of sustainable water development, it said.

Gadkari also conveyed, to the Tajik leader, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment towards expanding economic cooperation between the two countries, and said that potential for trade in commodities like sugar and milk powder may be explored, the statement added.

Giving Muhridin an update on the progress of Chabahar Port which India is helping to develop in Iran, he also said that India would be willing to share with Indian expertise in building quality infrastructure with the Central Asian nation.

Muhridin said India was one of Tajikistan's reliable political and strategic partners and would also like to expand its economic ties with India.

Gadkari is in Dushanbe to represent India at the high level global conference on "International Decade for Action: Water for Sustainable Development".