DUSHANBE, July 27, 2013, Asia-Plus — The deputy head of the Center for Strategic Studies under the President of Tajikistan, Sayfullo Safarov, expects issues related to technical re-equipment of Tajikistan’s armed forces, conditions of Tajik migrants’ stay in Russia and duty-free delivery of Russian oil products to Tajikistan to be discussed during the upcoming President Rahmon’s visit to Russia.
He stressed that interstate relations between Tajikistan and Russia have always been at quite a high level. “However, there are some issues and problems that are being solved during a personal meeting of the presidents,” Safarov noted.
“As far as the ratification of the Russian military base lease extension is concerned, I think this issue will not be discussed. I believe that following solution of issues related to related to Tajik migrants, technical re-equipment of Tajik national army and duty-free delivery of Russian oil products to Tajikistan this issue will be solved during the autumn session of Tajikistan’s lower chamber (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of parliament,” a senior experts from Tajik think tank added.
Meanwhile, Mahmadali Hayit, the deputy head of the Islamic Revival Party (IRP) says that Russia’s position regarding candidates for Tajikistan presidency will become clear during the upcoming meeting of the two presidents.
“Many Tajik and Russian experts consider that the Kremlin will decide already in early August which candidate for the seat of the president of Tajikistan to support and this prognosis is coming true,” Hayit noted.
He further added that today’s realities of Tajikistan showed that few people in Tajikistan had interest in the Kremlin’s opinion regarding the future leader of Tajikistan.
“Today, people of Tajikistan have little interest in which presidential candidate the Kremlin will support; people want changes, decent life and work,” Hayit said.
