DUSHANBE, August 5, 2013, Asia-Plus — Tajik parliament will ratify the agreement on the Russian military lease extension in October or early November this year, member of Tajikistan’s lower house (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of parliament., Ismoil Talbakov, who is also the first deputy chairman of the Communist Party of Tajikistan (CPT), told Asia-Plus in an interview on August 5.
According to him, not more than three MPs may vote against the ratification of the mentioned agreement.
“All issues related to ratification of this agreement were solved in the course of President Emomali Rahmon’s talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Moscow on August 1 and both leaders have shown once again that they are always ready for constructive dialogue for protection of their national interests and strategic alliances,” Tajik MP noted.
He further stressed the Russian military base deployed in Tajikistan had made its contribution to protecting Tajik strategic facilities of national significance and controlling the Tajik-Afghan border during the 1992-1997 civil war.
“It is not secret that the Russian military base in Tajikistan today not only protects interests of Russia or Tajikistan, but it also may provide peace and stability in the whole Central Asian region,” Talbakov added.
We will recall that Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service reported that Tajik President Emomali Rahmon said on August 1 in Moscow that Tajikistan”s parliament will ratify in the fall an agreement that extends Russia”s military presence in Tajikistan until 2042. “I”d like to say that we treat this issue [of the Russian military base] very seriously,” Rahmon said. “We are firmly committed to fulfilling our obligations. Now that we have solved a range of issues concerning the base, and as our parliament is returning from holiday, we will solve this issue by the fall of 2013.”
Russia’s lower house (State Duma) of parliament approved the law on ratification of the agreement on the lease for the Russian military base in Tajikistan on April 19 and the Federation Council (Russia’s upper chamber of parliament) passed it on April 27. President Vladimir Putin signed the federal law on the ratification of this agreement on May 7.
Moscow and Dushanbe clinched the agreement in October last year to extend the lease of the Russian military base in Tajikistan until at least 2042, with possible five-year extensions afterwards.
The agreement reportedly states that during its presence in Tajikistan, the Russian base will protect the interests of Russia and Tajikistan, ensure Tajikistan’s security jointly with Tajikistani armed forces, Russia’s own armed forces, and other troops and bodies in both countries.
To achieve these objectives, Russia will provide Tajikistan with weapons and military and special equipment in accordance with Russia’s laws on military technical cooperation with foreign countries.
The agreement regulates, in particular, the status of the Russian military base personnel, its jurisdiction and everyday work, and sets out the procedures for using the base together with Tajikistan’s armed forces.
The base was officially opened in 2004 under a previous agreement, which was signed in 1993, and hosts Russia’s largest military contingent deployed abroad. A total of some 6,000 Russian troops are stationed at three military facilities collectively known as the 201st military base – in Dushanbe, Qurgon Teppa, some 100 kilometers from Dushanbe, and Kulob, about 200 kilometers southwest of Dushanbe.
