DUSHANBE, July 4, 2014, Asia-Plus – Russia’s news agency Itar-Tass reports that issues related to the Russian military base deployed in Tajikistan were a major topic of a meeting of the Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and his Tajik counterpart Sherali Mirzo that took place in Astana, Kazakhstan on July 4 on the sidelines of the CIS defense ministers’ meeting.
Russian defense minister reportedly noted that Russia was ready to proceed to the discussion of practical issues concerning further expansion of military and technical cooperation between Russia and Tajikistan as well as modernization of the Tajik armed forces.
Tajik Defense Minister, Sherali Mirzo, for his part, appreciated Russia’s assistance and invited his Russian counterpart to pay an official visit to Dushanbe. “There are two strategic problems: the problem of the Russian military base that we have already solved; and the second issue is modernization of Tajikistan’s Armed Forces,” Tajik minister said.
The Russian military base was officially opened in Tajikistan in 2004 under a previous agreement, which was signed in 1993, and hosts Russia’s largest military contingent deployed abroad.
A total of some 7,000 Russian troops are stationed at three military facilities collectively known as the 201st military base – in Dushanbe, Qurghon Teppa, some 100 kilometers from Dushanbe, and Kulob, about 200 kilometers southwest of Dushanbe.
