Iran, Tajikistan sign agreement on consular cooperation

Iran and Tajikistan agreed to take proper measures to facilitate consular cooperation between the two sides in social, educational, judicial and trade fields.

The cooperation agreements were signed by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Consular, Parliamentary and Expatriates’ Affairs Hassan Qashqavi and Tajik Deputy Foreign Minister Abdollah Yoldashov at the end of the third meeting of Iran-Tajikistan joint consular committee in Dushanbe on Friday.

Qashqavi left Tehran for the Central Asian state last Tuesday in a bid to take part in the meeting.

Commenting on the details of the document, Qashqavi told reporters, “Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Emomali Rahmon, the two countries’ presidents, agreed on the extradition of criminals in their last round of private talks. And it was agreed that this general agreement held by the two presidents be put into effect as soon as possible.”

Qashqavi said that on the same basis, would draft two agreements on civil and criminal affairs and on extradition of criminals to propose to the Tajik side at the earliest and the Tajik side would provide its relevant assessment within six months.

The Iranian official also announced that Tehran plans to provide 50 scholarships for Tajik students.

Also according to the agreement, Tajikistan’s university will grant yearlong visas to the Iranian students studying in the Central Asian state.

He further announced that based on the agreements, yearlong visas would also be issued for those Iranian traders that invest in the Tajik economy up to $500,000 and 3-year long visas for those Iranian that invest more that half a million dollars in the Central Asian state.