DUSHANBE, August 11, 2011, Asia-Plus – Tajik Minister of Defense, Colonel General Sherali Hairulloev met today in Dushanbe with deputy commander of the Indian Air Forces, Air Marshal Kishen Kumar Nakhor to discuss military and technical cooperation and talk about the opportunity to send Tajik officers to India’s institutions.
Every year 15-20 graduates from Tajik Defense Ministry’s lyceum are sent to India’s military institutions, Faridun Mahmadaliev, a spokesman for the Tajik Ministry of Defense told the AP.
He said that the sides have also discussed current situation in the region, talked about India’s technical assistance to Tajik armed forces and joint counter-terrorist exercise.
Tajik Defense officials stress that India is ready to build and equip a modern hospital for Tajik military officers.
Tajik Foreign Ministry said current visit of India’s top military officials to Tajikistan is not connected to possible transfer of Tajikistan’s Ayni military airdrome to India.
Davlat Nazriev, Head of the Tajik Foreign Ministry’s Information Department, said this issue will not be discussed during India’s top air force officials visit to Tajikistan.
Ayni airdrome located close to Hissar city 25km west of Dushanbe. Before the collapse of the USSR the airdrome was used for repair of helicopters and had a landing strip. However, it was never used again after 1991, although this military object has a very good and hidden location.
Following Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon’s visit to Delhi in August 2006, Indian media started to talk about Ayni airdrome as of the potential air base for Indian air forces. They talked of it as of the first Indian air base outside the country.
Thus, Asia Times newspaper wrote that India was building three hangars in Ayni, including two for 12 MiG-29s.
Official Dushanbe, however, never confirmed this information. At his last briefing in late July 2011 Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi said that Tajikistan is holding talks with Russia regarding Ayni airdrome. He also stressed that “Tajikistan will never rent its land for free to anyone.”
