DUSHANBE, October 26, 2009, Asia-Plus — Under an agreement signed between Tajikistan and Russia in October 2004, Russian military base 201 in Tajikistan will work here on an unpaid basis until 2014, Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi told reporters in Dushanbe today.
“During an official visit of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to Tajikistan in August 2008, the Russian side offered us to discuss a number of organizational issues regarding further presence of its military base on our territory,” said Zarifi, “In October 2008 at our request, Russia presented its proposals on this issue in a written form and we sent our reply to Moscow in January this year.”
According to him, the presidents of the two countries have charged relevant ministries of their countries to study the issue. “A working group comprising representatives from Tajik MFA and the defense ministries of the two countries has been set up for studying the issue and presenting the necessary option. This group consists of four subgroups,” said the minister, “During recent state visit of President Rahmon to Moscow, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev orders Russian foreign minister to join this process.”
He noted that during the negotiations the sides had taken into consideration national interests of each other. “The working group has considered the issue of payment for Russia’s military base 201 along with the issue on unpaid presence of it and I think the negotiations may last until 2014,” Zarifi said.
He added that additions to the agreement proposed by the Russian side were aimed at improvement of conditions of Russian military personnel staying in Tajikistan.
We will recall that Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov told reporters in Moscow on October 22 that the issue of paying rent for a Russian military base in Tajikistan was still being discussed. “We have considered two issues – either to continue using the base in the current form or on a paying basis,” Anatoly Serdyukov told reporters after talks between the countries” presidents, adding that it was too early to discuss specific figures, according to RIA Novosti.
Serdyukov said the parties were discussing the possibility of the base”s paid use by Russia only after 2014.
In September, the Tajik Defense Ministry denied asking Russia to pay US$300 million in rent for the base.
Russian military base 201, which is Russia”s largest base abroad, was established in October 2004, following a deal signed by President Rahmon and the then Russian president, Vladimir Putin.
The base has about 7,000 personnel, comprising three motorized infantry regiments, a self-propelled artillery regiment, an anti-aircraft missile regiment, and a combat helicopter group.
