DUSHANBE. Oct 21 (Interfax) - Tajik President Emomali Rahmon called on Ankara to take efficient and urgent steps to apprehend and extradite Tajik terrorism and extremism suspects hiding in Turkey.
At a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Dushanbe on Friday, Rahmon also stressed the need for tough coordinated measures to prevent Tajik nationals from joining, via Turkish territory, terrorist organizations with a view to taking part in hostilities in the Middle East, the Tajik president's press office said.
"The president of Tajikistan particularly noted the need for a collective fight against the threats and challenges that have had negative effect on both regional and global security, including terrorism, extremism, with Tajikistan and Turkey at the front edge of the fight. To ensure security and stability in our countries and the region as a whole, the joint fight against terrorism and extremism was named a priority of bilateral cooperation," the statement said.
"Terrorism has no religion, no faith denomination, no nation and no home country, and in the fight against terrorism and extremism the Tajik side will accept no use of double standards," Rahmon said.
The meeting also focused on the current state and prospects for the bilateral relations between Turkey and Tajikistan and other important issues, the press office said.
The president said Tajikistan favors the process of strengthening and broadening the good and friendly long-term relations with Turkey and stressed this important principle's consistency with his country's foreign policy.
Having paid attention to the two countries' bilateral and multilateral cooperation on world stage in the political, economic, cultural and other spheres of mutual interest, the parties stressed the recognized and inviolable principles of friendship, equality, trust and mutual respect as being characteristic features of the Tajik-Turkish relations in this process.
The parties noted that at present trade between the two countries is over $200 million and 88 Turkish companies are registered in Tajikistan. "The parties were unanimous that further joint efforts to broaden cooperation, including in terms of increasing trade, is in the interests of both countries' people," the press office said.
At the meeting the Tajik side reaffirmed its readiness and interest to continue partnership in the investment sphere, create joint ventures in the manufacturing sectors of the economy, while stressing the importance of Turkey's participation in implementing projects to build and re-construct Tajikistan's energy, transport and communications infrastructure that is of great regional significance.