On the evening of October 12, Emomali Rahmon arrived in the capital of France after his two-day visit to Belgium. Photo: InternetSource: Press Service of the President According to the official website of the President of Tajikistan, the president was warmly and sincerely welcomed in Paris by the hotel management and staff of the Tajik […]
On the evening of October 12, Emomali Rahmon arrived in the capital of France after his two-day visit to Belgium.
Photo: InternetAccording to the official website of the President of Tajikistan, the president was warmly and sincerely welcomed in Paris by the hotel management and staff of the Tajik Embassy in France.
In the photographs published by the press service of the president, not a single high-ranking government official is visible during Rahmon’s reception.
At the time of this report’s publication, Rahmon’s visit had not been covered by any of France’s state news agencies.
Experts believe that the cold reception of Emomali Rahmon by the French government indicates that Emmanuel Macron has changed his position on the situation in Afghanistan. It is reported that Rahmon visited France to discuss the situation in Afghanistan.
Tajik refugee Salmon Sultonzada, residing in France and closely following Rahmon’s visit, told AZDA TV: “What we are witnessing today is very strange, as the President of France himself invited Rahmon, yet did not send a single high-ranking official to meet him at the airport. I think the reason is that France has changed its opinion on the situation in Afghanistan.”
According to Sultonzada, the reason for the cold reception of Rahmon is that “the G20 countries decided to allocate 1 billion euros or 1 billion dollars in aid to Afghanistan. This fact indicates that the developed countries of the world are ready to cooperate with the current regime in Kabul. Therefore, the issue of supporting the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan is no longer as interesting and relevant as it was in the early days.”
However, Tajik writer and journalist Zafar Sufi, residing in France, commented on Rahmon’s visit: “In France, high-ranking guests are usually met by a representative of the president at the airport. Of course, important guests for France can be met by the prime minister or even the president himself. However, it is very rare for the President of France to personally greet someone.”
“The meeting at the entrance to the Élysée Palace is merely a customary and welcoming gesture. Rahmon’s visit is not a state visit; I consider it more of a working trip, and the main planned purpose of the visit is the opening of the Tajik exhibition at the Guimet Museum. All other programs are secondary, merely for propaganda purposes and aimed at demonstrating the importance of the visit and Emomali Rahmon himself,” added Zafar Sufi.
“The most important part of the President’s visit to France, in my opinion, is the opening of the Tajik exhibition at the Guimet Museum, thus our beloved Tajikistan will be presented to the people of France. Cultural events of this kind are undoubtedly more effective and leave a better impression,” emphasized Sufi.
However, other experts believe that the official reception of presidents usually takes place at the entrance to the Élysée Palace, not at the airport. It is likely that Emmanuel Macron will receive Rahmon today, October 13, at the presidential palace.
The goals of this visit and the issues to be discussed have not yet been officially announced, but it is quite possible that the parties will focus on economic, cultural, and security issues, particularly the situation in Afghanistan.