Japan offers aid to Tajikistan for farm, infrastructure development

Japan offered on Saturday to help Tajikistan with agriculture and infrastructure development, including providing around 900 million yen ($7.4 million) in grant aid to the Central Asian nation.

The bilateral cooperation was touted in a joint statement issued following a meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon in Dushanbe, Kyodo News Agency reported on Saturday.

"Based on the achievements made in the talks, I will make efforts to further develop the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries," Abe, who visited Tajikistan as the first Japanese prime minister, told a joint press conference after the talks.