DUSAHNBE, July 22, Asia-Plus – French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie will pay her short visit to Tajikistan in late July to discuss military and technical cooperation with President Emomali Rahmonov and the country’s top military leadership.
According to information from Daniel Tielle (phonetically spelled), Defense Attach?, Embassy of France, Ms. Alliot-Marie will arrive in
Dushanbe
on July 29. On the same day, she will leave
Dushanbe
for
Kabul
, where she will meet with French military personnel deployed there. According to the French Defense Attach?, some 2,000 French military personnel are currently stationed in the Afghan capital.
Ms Michele Alliot-Marie will meet with President Emomali Rahmonov and her Tajik counterpart Sherali Khayrulloyev on July 31, on her return to
Dushanbe
from
Kabul
. The sides are supposed to discuss further expansion of cooperation between
Tajikistan
and
France
in fighting terrorism, extremism and organized crime, as well as issues related to military and military-technical cooperation between the two countries.
During her stay in Dushanbe Michele Alliot-Marie also will meet with command of the French Air Force contingent stationed at the
Dushanbe
airport since 2001 as well as visit Tajik Military Institute. On the same day French defense military will return to
France
.
We will recall that at present two transport planes and six Mirage-2000 jetfighter of French Air Force as well as 400 military personnel are stationed at the airport in
Dushanbe
to support operation by the antiterrorist coalition in
Afghanistan
. The additional military contingent of
France
will stay in
Tajikistan
till November this year.
