Russian media reports say Russia increasing combat readiness of its military bases deployed in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan against the backcloth of the United States and its allies to restore their military presence in Central Asia.
RIA Novosti reports that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu stated this while delivering a statement at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) defense ministers’ meeting that took place in New Delhi, India on April 28.
“The United States and its allies, under the pretext of providing assistance in the fight against terrorism, try to restore their military presence in Central Asia. We are assessing requests to the countries of the region to host military infrastructure as a direct threat to stability in the SCO area of responsibility,” Shoigu was cited as saying.
“For our part, we are increasing the combat readiness of Russian military bases in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan as well as other forces of response to possible challenges,” the Russian defense minister added.
At the same time, he noted that NATO member nations, after twenty years of their presence in Afghanistan and subsequent withdrawal, bear the greatest responsibility for the situation there.
“They have to bear the main financial expenses on the post-conflict reconstruction,” the Russian defense minister stated.
ABP says Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu, Russia's Sergei Shoigu, Tajikistan's Colonel-General Sherali Mirzo, Iran's Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Gharaei Ashtiyani and Kazakhstan's Colonel-General Ruslan Zhaksylykov were among those attending the meeting.
According to Hindustan Times, their counterparts from Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan also attended the SCO defense ministers’ meeting in New Delhi.
Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif reportedly attended the meeting in virtual mode.
The parties discussed issues related to regional security situations including the latest developments in Afghanistan.
Enhancing coordination among the SCO member countries to effectively combat terrorism and extremism was another priority.
The Russian military base deployed in Tajikistan is subordinate to the Central Military District. It is Russia's largest non-naval military facility outside the country.
It 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 now stationed at two military facilities collectively known as the 201st military base – in Dushanbe and Bokhtar (formerly Qurghon Teppa), some 100 kilometers from Dushanbe.
The Kant Air Base near the Kyrgyz city of Kant is now host to the Russian Air Force's 5th Air and Air Defense Forces Army's 999th Air Base positioned in Kyrgyzstan. The Kant airbase is also a structural subdivision of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
In February 2012, the then Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev called for the Kant base to be closed, saying neither Russia nor Kyrgyzstan needs it. In May, Colonel-General Alexander Zelin of the Russian Air Force declared his country had no plan to withdraw from the town of Kant, adding that the base’s organizational and personnel structure will remain as is. Later in August, Russia obtained a prolongation period from Kyrgyzstan, allowing Russian military sites to remain for 15 more years after the expiration of the current contract in 2017.
