DUSHANBE, March 7, 2011, Asia-Plus — Imposition of visa regime for Tajik nationals may deteriorate the economic situation not only in Tajikistan but also in the Russia Federation itself, Sattor Kholov, member of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) Committee on Defense, Security and Public Order, told Asia-Plus, commenting on Russian MP Semyon Bagdasarov’s statement over the possibility of canceling visa-free travel regime for Tajik nationals.
According to him, Tajik labor migrants working in Russia are employed mostly in those spheres in which Russians themselves do not want to work.
Kholov also noted that according to the statistical data from the Tajik and Russian special services, the number of cases of detention of Tajik nationals in Russia and other CIS nations for drug trafficking has reduced several times over the past five-six years.
“Effectiveness of work of Tajik law enforcement authorities on combating drug trafficking is recognized by many countries of the world and appropriate agencies of the Russian Federation,” said Kholov, “I think Russian special services know this issue better than Mr. Bagdasarov.”
Sometimes, some Russian politicians are making ill-considered statements that may cause complication of relations between Tajikistan and Russia, Tajik MP added.
Tajik Foreign Ministry spokesman Davlat Nazriyev noted that it was not the first statement of that kind made by Russian MPs and there ought not to pay attention to it.
