Pakistan and Tajikistan have signed a protocol to extend economic relations and strengthen cooperation in a number of fields, says an official statement. These fields include energy, insurance, investment and industry, air transport, communication, banking and financial sectors, agriculture and food industry, transport and construction of roads, science and technology, education, health, tourism, culture on the basis of mutual equality and agreed to increase the current level of trade and to facilitate joint ventures in the field of trade, industry and services. They signed the protocol after the conclusion of the Second Conference on the Regional Electricity Trade between the Central Asian and South Asian Countries as well as Second Session of the Pak-Tajik Joint Economic Commission, which was held in Dushanbe. The two countries agreed to extend cooperation regarding energy trade. The financial institutions assured their support for the transmission line project via Phul-e-Khumiri and Kabul areas to Pakistan to export power from Tajikistan. As an alternate an additional transmission line through Wahkhan corridor would also be studied. Both the countries also agreed to cooperate in field of extraction and processing of gas and oil products. The Pakistan side agreed to initiate dialogue through the concerned ministries for the purpose. The Tajik side requested Pakistan to cooperate in the field of construction of irrigation system, technical assistance in provision of drinking water in rural areas and management of water resources in Tajikistan and Pakistan agreed to consider it.
