DUSHANBE, July 1, 2014, Asia-Plus – The issue of the possible return of Russian border guards to the Tajik-Afghan border is still on the agenda of negotiations and the side will reach consensus on this issues after certain mutual concessions, Anatoly Tsyganyuk, Head of the Moscow-
based Military Forecast Center, told Asia-Plus in an interview.
Asked about the possibility of deterioration of the situation on the Tajik-Afghan border after the withdrawal of coalition forces from Afghanistan, Russian expert noted that the situation on the Tajik-Afghan would not deteriorate this year. “But next year, this possibility cannot be ruled out. The situation may deteriorate next year at least because of the growth of drug trafficking,” Tsyganyuk said.
Russia expert is sure that the United States does not want to leave Afghanistan or Central Asia completely.
Asked about possible actions of Russia and China in the event of deterioration of the situation in the region after the withdrawal of coalition forces from Afghanistan, Tsyganyuk said, “Russia has begun taking measures within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) to strengthen armed forces of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.”
Asked about recent clashes on the Tajik-Kyrgyz border, Tsyganyuk noted that international experts have predicted spread of conflicts related to water use problems. He expressed hope that leaders of both countries and the CSTO leadership “will use diplomatic ways to resolve this conflict.”
It is not the first time Russian officials mention the idea of bringing Russians back to Tajik borders. We will recall that Russian experts raised the issue of the possible return of Russians to Tajikistan’s borders in late 2010 as well. Maksim Peshkov, director of the CIS department at the Russian Foreign Ministry and Russia”s ex-ambassador to Tajikistan, noted on December 9, 2010 that the return of the Russian Border Guards Service to safeguard Tajikistan”s southern borders has been discussed between the two countries” authorities.
Russian border guards were stationed alongside the Tajik border until 2006, when the task of guarding the border was handed over to their Tajik counterparts. A small group of Russian experts still remain there as consultants to the Tajik border services.
