Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos arrived in Dushanbe on Friday for the first visit to Tajikistan by a sitting Cypriot foreign minister. He said it was a “distinct honour” to be in the country and described his meeting with Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin as productive.
Talks on bilateral cooperation
Kombos said he and Muhriddin discussed ways to strengthen ties between Cyprus and Tajikistan and expand practical cooperation in trade, investment, and education.
He said they also exchanged a memorandum of cooperation in the field of higher education and research.
Regional and EU engagement
Kombos said he reaffirmed Cyprus’ support for continued engagement between the European Union and central Asia. He added that the two ministers also discussed regional security issues.
Central Asia tour
Kombos’ arrival in Tajikistan is the second leg of his tour of central Asia, after he travelled to Kazakhstan earlier in the week alongside President Nikos Christodoulides.
He is also expected to travel to Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
Declaration on Cyprus issue
Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, along with Turkmenistan, signed a joint declaration with the European Union last year precluding any recognition of the north as an independent country.
The declaration came at a time when the Turkish Cypriot side, led by Ersin Tatar, was advocating for a two-state solution to the Cyprus problem.
The joint declaration stated that all five countries “reaffirmed our strong commitment” to United Nations Security Council resolutions 541 and 550.
Resolution 541 said the Security Council “deplores the declaration of the Turkish Cypriot authorities of the purported secession of part of the Republic of Cyprus” and called on UN member states not to recognise the north.
Resolution 550 said it “reiterates the call upon all states not to recognise the purported state of the ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’, set up by secessionist acts, and calls upon them not to facilitate or in any way assist the aforesaid secessionist entity”.