DUSHANBE, August 27, 2011, Asia-Plus — Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will ay an official visit to Tajikistan from September1 to September 2, the Tajik MFA information department reports.
During his stay in Dushanbe, Medvedev will also attend a quadripartite meeting of the presidents of Tajikistan. Afghanistan, Pakistan and Russia that will take place here on September 2-3.
The Russian head of state will also take part in a meeting of the Council of the CIS Heads of State in the Tajik capital.
We will recall that in a report released at a news conference in Dushanbe, Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi noted on July 18 that Tajikistan and Russia have not yet agreed on the continued presence of a Russian military base and use of an air base in Tajikistan. He said the talks with Moscow about the continued use of the military base, near the Ayni air base in the southeastern Dushanbe suburbs, began in 2008.
Russia has an agreement to use the base without payment until 2014. Zarifi noted that Tajik territory could not be used by a foreign military free of charge.
Tajik foreign minister ruled out the return of Russian border guards to the Tajik-Afghan border, which they controlled until 2005.
Zarifi ruled out the return of Russian border guards to the Tajik-Afghan border, which they controlled until 2005. He said an agreement on the presence of Russian border-guard advisers, who are currently working in Tajikistan, could be prolonged during Russian president’s visit to Dushanbe in September.
