DUSHANBE. July 30 (Interfax-AVN) - The four-party meeting between the Russian, Afghan, Tajik and Pakistani leaders in Dushanbe on Thursday was symbolic, said Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, adding that a new format of cooperation is emerging.
"Today we are hailing the creation of a new form of a dialog. I am certain that contacts of such kind will be useful," Medvedev told a joint press conference held by the four presidents in Dushanbe.
This format can address all key regional problems, from economic cooperation to the fight against drug trafficking and terrorism, the Russian president said. "We are willing to address these issues both in traditional formats and through the cooperation that is being created here," Medvedev said.
The four-party meeting in Dushanbe is a "symbol of trust" he said.
Hopefully, "such work will result in the general improvement of the situation in the region," he said.
"The main goal now is to make sure various contacts and ties between our countries become more active after this meeting," he said.
"We share the same space which must be filled with various projects, be it energy, railway transport, or regional trade," Medvedev said.
"Only by acting in this way, that is by creating normal conditions for people living here can we resolve very poignant and complicated problems which have for decades been piling up in the region," the president said.
International financial institutions could also joint these projects, he said. "I think these projects could be of interest to the World Bank," he added.