DUSHANBE, October 8, 2012, Asia-Plus — The Communist Party of Tajikistan (CPT) has positively assessed the results of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s official visit to Tajikistan.
CPT leader Shodi Shabdolov says the party’s board met on October 6 to discuss the visit’s results.
According to him, Putin’s visit is an evidence of the fact that the Russian authorities have been seriously engaged in integration process within the post-Soviet area.
Shabdolov noted that statements by some local experts that the Russian military base will again stay on the territory of Tajikistan free of charge do not correspondent to the facts.
“Participation of Russia in modernization of Tajikistan’s armed forces, training of military personnel for the Tajik national army at Russian military schools, and the tax-free delivery of Russian oil products to Tajikistan will come for Russia to many millions of U.S. dollars and only experts who have got used to see Tajikistan-Russia relations in the worst light are blind to this,” Shabdolov stressed.
Meanwhile, the Islamic Revival Party (IRP) leader Muhiddin Kabiri noted that Putin would not have arrived in Dushanbe if he had not been sure of success of his visit.
“Extension of the period of the Russian military base’s presence in Tajikistan until 2042 and giving the status of diplomatic immunity to Russian servicemen in Tajikistan are a good present for Putin’s 60th birthday,” Kabiri said.
He added that agreements on the tax-free Russian oil product deliveries to Tajikistan and assistance to Tajik counternarcotics agency with combating drug trafficking would be for benefit of both sides “if they are implemented, of course.”
