New Delhi (The Hawk): India’s Minister for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Dr Jitendra Singh held a bilateral meeting with the Minister for Energy and Water resources of Republic of Tajikistan Mr Daler Juma Shofaqir on the side-lines of the UN Ocean Conference Lisbon, Portugal and discussed several issues of mutual interest.
Both the Ministers discussed water resources research, with special focus on Glacier monitoring and understanding, Non-conventional Energy, etc. Tajikistan Minister requested India to support global water action and climate resistance on Water for sustainable Development. Dr Jitendra Singh pointed out that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi hosted the first meeting of the India-Central Asia Summit in January this year with the participation of the Presidents of Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, in a virtual format that symbolised the importance attached by the Leaders of India and the Central Asian countries to a comprehensive and enduring India-Central Asia partnership.
Dr Jitendra Singh also referred to 11th meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission of Tajikistan and India on trade-economic, scientific and technical cooperation in 2020, where cooperation in the areas of economy, trade, finance, investment, the private sector, industry and new technologies, transport, agriculture, energy, education, culture and tourism were discussed.
Dr Jitendra Singh told his Tajik counterpart Daler Juma Shofaqir that during Indian President Shri Ram Nath Kovind’s State Visit to Tajikistan in 2018, Eight MoUs/agreements were signed in the areas of Peaceful Use of Space Technology, Disaster Management, Renewable Energy, and Agricultural Research and Education to name important ones.
The two Ministers appreciated the ongoing close cooperation between the two countries and hoped that the partnership grows from strength to strength in future. Pertinent to mention that India and Tajikistan have shared a traditional warm relationship and are engaged in more than one sectors including pharma, healthcare, chemicals etc. Incidentally, under PM Modi, all these sectors have received a special impetus, particularly after the Covid pandemic.