Russian Foreign Minister to Discuss in Dushanbe Situation in Central Asia

Russian foreign minister Igor Ivanov, after visiting Kabul, will leave on a working visit to Tajikistan, Wednesday.

He will meet with Tajik President Emomali Rakhmonov and will hold negotiations with his Tajik counterpart Talbak Nazarov.

Spokesman for the Russian foreign ministry Alexander Yakovenko told Russian journalists that the participants in the Dushanbe negotiations will focus their attention on the military-political situation in the region, the problems of ensuring the regional stability and security, strengthening collaboration in the bilateral and multilateral formats within the CIS framework, the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

The sides are going to thoroughly discuss the situation in Afghanistan and prospects for the Afghan settlement. Special attention will be paid to interaction in the struggle against the drug threat emanating from the Afghan territory.

The participants will also discuss the Iraqi problem, and the expansion of bilateral trade and economic ties.