India's External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar arrived in Dushanbe Monday afternoon on an official two-day visit to Tajikistan at the invitation of Tajikistan Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin.

During the visit, Jaishankar will have discussions with his counterpart covering all aspects of the bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest. He would call on President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon and is also expected to meet other Tajik ministers and dignitaries.

He will also attend the 9th Ministerial Conference of Heart of Asia – Istanbul Process (HoA-IP) on Afghanistan tomorrow at the joint invitation of Foreign Ministers of Afghanistan and Tajikistan. At the sidelines of the event, Jaishankar is also expected to meet leaders of other participating countries.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi will also be attending the event which involves 15 participating countries, 17 supporting countries and 12 regional and international organisations.

Pakistani media has been speculating that, in the backdrop of the recent developments in the frayed relations between the two countries, both ministers from India and Pakistan can have some informal interactions during the event tomorrow.

Jaishankar had earlier visited Dushanbe in June 2019 to attend the 5th Summit of Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia. This visit is in continuation of the frequent high-level exchanges between the two countries that will further strengthen the close strategic partnership between India and Tajikistan.

Visited the Dushanbe-Chortut Highway Project site. Good work being done by @BROindia under our grant assistance. The 8-lane highway will decongest Dushanbe. pic.twitter.com/Y8vSpBM6pk

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) March 29, 2021

As the lead country for trade, commerce and investment Confidence Building Measure (CBM) under HoA-IP, India has made concerted efforts for strengthening regional connectivity for the greater economic integration of Afghanistan with the region. A dedicated Air Freight Corridor between cities of India and Afghanistan and operationalisation of Chabahar Port in Iran are steps in that direction.

India, as an important stakeholder for peace, prosperity and stability in Afghanistan, has also played a constructive role in the international processes on Afghanistan, engaging regional and international stakeholders on the ongoing peace process in the country. This visit would further enhance India's outreach to Central Asian countries with a special focus on Afghanistan.