DUSHANBE, August 5, 2013, Asia-Plus — Sergey Mitrokhin, the leader of the Russian United Democratic Party “Yabloko,” offers to return Russian border guards to the Tajik-Afghan border, according to Yabloko’s website.
Asked about reasonability of imposition of a visa regime on citizens of the CIS nations, Sergey Mitrokhin noted that that measure was absolutely senseless, “Because Russia’s borders with these countries are transparent and it is very easy to bypass few frontier posts.”
Mitrokhin, who is Moscow mayoral candidate, reportedly stated this at a meeting with representatives of the Trade Union of Labor Migrants of Russia.
“The more important measure is the return of a contingent of Russian border guards to Tajikistan’s common border with Afghanistan,” Mitrokhin said, noting it is also quite possible to deploy the contingent of Russian border guards on the Tajik-Uzbek border.
According to him, absence of Russian border guards on [Tajikistan’s] border with Afghanistan poses a potential threat to Russia.
“After withdrawal of Russian border guards from the Tajik-Afghan border drug trafficking through this border has considerably increased,” said Mitrokhin. “The United States intends to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan next year that may result in the Taliban having their revenge that will lead to the huge flow of refugee from this country to Russia through Central Asia’s nations. Together with refugees terrorists and diversionists will come.”
We will recall that Russian border guards controlled the Tajik-Afghan border for more than 100 years before handing over responsibility to their Tajik colleagues in 2005. But Russian advisers continue to be deployed on Tajikistan”s borders. The border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan covers some 1,400 kilometers.
The Russian United Democratic Party “Yabloko” is a Russian social liberal party founded by Grigory Yavlinsky and currently led by Sergey Mitrokhin, a former opposition member of the Moscow City Duma and State Duma. The party logo consists of a red circle and a green isosceles triangle, suggesting an apple in a constructivist style. The party dates back to early 1990s.
