DUSHANBE, August 1, 2012, Asia-Plus – Silk Road Newsline reports that U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Robert Blake said the Obama administration had requested U.S. Congress to increase military assistance levels for Central Asia for Fiscal year 2013. According to the budget request justification, funding under Foreign Military Financing for Tajikistan will almost double compared to the current year levels.
Blake told U.S. lawmakers last week that the U.S. provided more than $6 million in Foreign Military Financing and $3 million in International Military Education and Training to Central Asia in fiscal year 2011.
“Looking forward to 2013, the Administration has requested a slight increase in military assistance levels to continue support for these same efforts,” he said in his written report to the House Subcommittee on Europe and Eurasia last week without providing additional detail.
According to the according to the budget request justification submitted by the Administration to Congress, funding levels for Foreign Military Financing and International Military Education and Training for fiscal year 2013 will stay the same for all Central Asian countries except Tajikistan that will see a substantial increase of funding under Foreign Military Financing program from $800,000 in fiscal year 2012 to $1.5 million in fiscal year 2013.
“Foreign Military Financing funds will support the Tajik Armed Forces’ efforts to improve English language capacity, counter transnational threats, secure its borders, participate in peacekeeping and other multilateral operations, and conduct humanitarian demining. Such assistance will contribute to regional security and U.S.-Tajik military cooperation,” according to the budget request justification. “International Military Education and Training funds will provide professional military education, English language training and other courses that will increase the military’s professionalism and exposure to U.S. military practices and values.”
