On the afternoon of June 14, 2001, President Jiang Zemin met with Tajikistan President Emomali Rakhmonov in Shanghai, during which they held talks in a cordial and friendly atmosphere.

Extending welcome to Rakhmonov, Jiang recalled that they met in Dalian in 1999, adding that he visited Tajikistan last year, which left indelible impression on him.

Rakhmonov said that he felt very much at home since this was his second trip to Shanghai. He noted that the summit of the 6 countries held in Shanghai is of great historical and political significance, adding that with the concerted efforts of parties concerned, a new regional cooperation organization will come to be and the new organization is very important to us.

Rakhmonov expressed satisfaction over the growing momentum in bilateral relationship in all areas. He expressed sincere thanks for the political, moral and economic assistance provided by President Jiang and the Chinese people at the most difficult times of Tajikistan.

Jiang said that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to be officially launched tomorrow, the result of positive cooperation of "Shanghai Five" over the years, symbolizes that "Shanghai Five" has entered a new stage and will further promote the solidarity and cooperation among its member states. He also expressed appreciation for the positive contributions made by Rakhmonov in the process of the development of "Shanghai Five".

Jiang noted that China-Tajikistan relations have been developing in a sound and stable manner and cooperation has registered marked progress since the two countries established diplomatic ties nearly 10 years ago. He expressed gratitude for Tajikistan's support to China on such questions as Taiwan and opposing ethnic separatism, voicing unswerving support to Tajikistan's efforts in consolidating national independence and revitalizing its national economy. He expressed the hope that China and Tajikistan will further expand new areas for bilateral cooperation and upgrade bilateral relations to a new stage.

On regional security, Jiang said that separatism, terrorism and extremism are major threats to regional security and stability, noting that China and Tajikistan have identical views and are conducting good cooperation on combating the "three forces" and upholding regional security. He added that a pact will be signed on combating the "three forces" tomorrow, which will serve as a solid legal guarantee for cooperation among parties concerned in the area of security. He emphasized that this is of utmost importance to not only the security environment of the region at the moment, but also peace and development to be enjoyed by the coming generations.