Brussels, 13/12/2010 (Agence Europe) - The EU-Tajikistan Cooperation Council held its inaugural meeting in Brussels on Monday 13 December, almost one year after the entry into force of the partnership and cooperation agreement on 1 January 2010. “Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to upgrade their relationship in a lot of areas” such as energy, the management of water resources, the environment, political dialogue, trade, etc, the Hungarian foreign minister, Janos Martonyi, who chaired the EU delegation in the absence of his Belgian colleague and of Catherine Ashton, told the press. He also laid emphasis on the importance the EU attaches to the observation of human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Central Asia. On this point, the Tajik foreign minister, Hamrokhon Zarifi, stressed to a group of journalists that his country had “always observed and always will observe its international commitments on human rights”. The minister went on to state that his country hoped for a “long and effective relationship” with the EU, “which is our main economic and commercial partner”. Martonyi and Zarifi also stressed the importance of regional cooperation. “Tajikistan has good relations with the countries of Central Asia. There is an enormous potential for cooperation”, Zarifi commented. (H.B./transl.fl)