Putin to Pay State Visit to Tajikistan

Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay a state visit to Tajikistan on October 8-10, where he is scheduled to meet with President Emomali Rahmon.

The Russian delegation will include Deputy Prime Ministers Alexey Overchuk and Marat Khusnullin, as well as senior officials from the presidential administration, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, Russian National Guard Chief Viktor Zolotov, Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, Justice Minister Konstantin Chuychenko, Industry and Trade Minister Anton Alikhanov, Labor Minister Anton Kotyakov, Education Minister Sergey Kravtsov, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko, and Transport Minister Andrey Nikitin, The Caspian Post reports, citing TASS.

On October 9, Putin will take part in the second Russia-Central Asia summit, which will focus on further cooperation between Russia and the countries of the region.

On October 10, he will participate in a meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of State. "The session will focus on developing trade and investment partnerships and strengthening ties within the CIS. Boosting cooperation in this area is a priority of Russian foreign policy," Kremlin Aide Yury Ushakov said.

The leaders will also "exchange views on current international and regional issues" and "discuss security concerns" within the CIS framework. In addition, they will consider establishing a new "CIS Plus" format.

Following the Dushanbe summit, the CIS heads of state are expected to sign around 20 documents.

Putin and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev may also hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the CIS summit in Dushanbe. "Usually, during such events, bilateral meetings occur. There will be both pre-arranged meetings and brief talks, or meetings that the leaders agree on during the session," Ushakov explained.

The Russian President is expected to summarize the results of his three-day visit at a press conference following the conclusion of all events.