DUSHANBE, March 29, Asia-Plus – Russia does not have “imperial ambitions” in Central Asia, Russian Ambassador to Tajikistan Ramazan Abdulatipov remarked at a scientific conference in Dushanbe on March 28.
A two-day scientific conference formally titled “Russia And Central Asia In Conditions of Geopolitical Transformation: The Foreign Policy Dimension” opened at Russia-Tajik Slavic University in Dushanbe yesterday.
Abdulatipov noted that Russia had been one of the first to recognize independence of Tajikistan, which is evidence of “its giving up any survivals of imperial policy.” “Moreover, it was Russia that was the main guarantor of peaceful settlement of the situation in the republic and independence of Tajikistan during its most difficult period,” the ambassador said.
On bilateral Russian-Tajik relations over the past fifiteen years, Abdulatipov noted that cooperation between the two countries has been actively expanding in various fields on priciples of the strategic partnership.
Dwelling on the situation in Central Asia, Russian amabssador noted that Russia is not striving for prevailing in the region. “We are for equality in analyzing threats and making decisions,” said Abdulatipov, “Central Asia has close ties with Russia and therefore we are interested in peace and stability in the region and further development of the Central Asian states,” the ambassador said.
According to him, Russia is ready to settle these tasks proceeding, first of all, from interests of the Central Asian peoples and states in cooperation with China, the United States, the European Union, India, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Abdulatipov stressed that it is necessary to prevent “prevalence of instruments of ‘bloc policy’ of the past, which NATO, OSCE and some others try to make.”
Russian diplomat noted that Russia’s policy in Tajikistan will be predictable and take into consideration rightful interests of Tajikistan.
The conference staged by the RTSU Center for Geopolitical Studies under support of the Russian Embassy is dedicated to the 15th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Tajikistan and the Russian Federation.
