DUSHANBE, November 19, 2011, Asia-Plus — A meeting of the First Deputy Foreign Minister of Tajikistan, Mahmoudjon Sobirov, with Russian Ambassador to Tajikistan Yuri Popov was held here on November 18 on an initiative of the Tajik side, the Tajik MFA information department reports.
The sides reportedly discussed the situation that emerged around Tajik labor migrants working in the Russian Federation.
In the course of the talks, Sobirov conveyed Tajik Government’s concern over the fact that some Russian officials and media outlets have spoken very negatively about Tajikistan, Tajik people and the country’s leadership while commenting on the sentencing of Russian pilot in Tajikistan, the information department said.
“Such comments as well as one-sided and biased coverage of the situation in Russian state-run and independent media outlets do not meet the spirit of strategic partnership and friendly relations between Tajikistan and Russia,” Sobirov noted.
Tajik official expressed regret that political color has been given to the case “that has purely juridical character.”
Sobirov reportedly noted that actions of Russia’s bodies in charge of migration issues have caused and are continuing to cause damage to bilateral relations [between Tajikistan and Russia]. As a result of measures taken by them, cases of mistreatment of Tajik nationals in Russia, in particular in Moscow and Leningrad oblasts, have become more frequent.
He stressed that a statement by the Russian chief sanitary inspector Gennady Onishchenko that many migrants from Tajikistan have allegedly been diagnosed with HIV and tuberculosis recently also caused perplexity.
We will recall that Onishchenko said on November 14 that many labor migrants from Tajikistan have recently been diagnosed with HIV and tuberculosis. He did not explain the circumstances under which the Tajiks were tested for the two conditions. He said that “a possible solution in this case is a full ban on the use of labor migrants from this country until at least minimal healthcare is created there.”
On the further trial of the Russian pilot, Tajik deputy foreign minister noted that the country’s law enforcement authorities were considering that issue within the frameworks of the national legislation and Tajikistan’s international obligations and “an appropriate decision will be made soon.”
He assured Russian diplomat that despite events taking place around that case the Russian Federation remained strategic partner of Tajikistan and stressed that such issues arising between the two countries must be solved only through diplomatic means.
Russian ambassador expressed hope for the speedy settlement of the situation and for his part, he assured Mahmoudjon Sobirov that he would convey Tajik Government’s concern to the leadership of his country.
