Egypt isa pivotal country in the Middle East and Africa and occupies an important place in Tajikistan's foreign policy, said Tajikistan's Ambassador in CairoZarobiddinKosimi. He added that Tajikistan and Egypt have many commonalities and similarities, such as a long history and rich culture, as well as active participation and support for each other in international and regional issues. The ambassador's remarks came in a press conference organised by the embassy to mark the 31st anniversary of Tajikistan's Independence Day. Kosimi said that the current cooperative relations between Tajikistan and Egypt in the fields of economy, trade, and investments have not yet risen to the level of their political relations. "In this regard, I stress the need to exploit the opportunities available to expand cooperation in the fields of trade, economy, and investment," he added. "At the same time, the volume of foreign trade between Tajikistan and Egypt does not meet the demands and desires of both countries," Kosimisaid, stressing that the efforts of relevant institutions are very important in order to improve cooperation in this field and increase the volume of trade between the two countries. Furthermore, he said that there are potentials to enhance future cooperation in areas such as establishing joint projects in the fields of hydropower, oil and gas, and developing cooperation in the banking, taxation, and tourism sectors, stressingTajikistan'skeenness to cooperate with Egypt in the field of health. Additionally, Kosimi said that his country seeks to develop cooperation with Egypt in the field of tourism and to benefit from the Egyptian experience in this sector, as it is one of the promising areas of cooperation between the two countries, pointing out the unique nature and wonderful sights of Tajikistan,stating that it will also be very interesting for Egyptian tourists. In terms of the numbers, Koisimi said that there no correct statistics for tourists from Tajikistan coming to Egypt because they visit Egypt through different countries. "We seek to open and organise direct flights between the two countries, as they are of particular importance for the development of relations in this field," the ambassador noted. Speaking about Egypt's hosting of the upcoming UN Conference of Parties on Climate Change (COP27) in Sharm El-Sheikh this November, Kosimi said that it is a great opportunity to promote international climate action, as Egypt's initiative in this field is very close to Tajikistan's initiatives in the field of water and glacier melting. "I would like to mention the initiative of his Excellency President Emomali Rahmon of the Republic of Tajikistan to declare the year 2025 as the International Year for the Protection of Glaciers, and we are confident of the participation of the high-level Tajik delegation in this conference," he mentioned. He also stressed that there is a need to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in combating terrorism, extremism, drug smuggling, transnational organised crime, and other regional and international threats and challenges, as well as prohibiting the activities of illegal parties and groups against national security interests to ensure the security of their countries and the region. "Tajikistan supports Egypt in its efforts to eradicate terrorism and achieving security and stability in Egypt is important not only for it but also at the regional and international levels. For our part, we commend Egypt's solidarity with Tajikistan in combating common security challenges," he concluded.
