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Russia goes ahead with its program on military base in Tajikistan

New base to house 7,000 military personnel
Photo ITAR-TASS/ Denis Vyshinsky
Photo ITAR-TASS/ Denis Vyshinsky

VALDAI (Novgorod region), September 19 (Itar-Tass) - Russia will carry out its program regarding a military base in Tajikistan, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told journalists on Thursday. "We have a program for the base and we will carry it out. The program has been coordinated with the authorities,” General Shoigu told Itar-Tass.

"We should yet finaliz programs for re-equipment of the Tajik army. We are waiting for the ratification of the Russian-Tajik agreement by the Tajik parliament," Shoigu added.

Problems of bringning the agreement on the Russian military base in Tajikistan to life were discussed by Russia's President Vladimir Putin and his Tajik counterpart Emomali Rakhmon at Putin's residence in Novo-Ogaryovo on August 1.

Emomali Rakhmon declared then that Tajikistan would ratify the agreement this fall. Tajikistan's attitude to this problem is very serious, and Tajikistan resolutely intends to fulfill all its obligations, President Rakhmon said at the time.

After related issues are resolved and the Tajik parliament returns from vacation, the matter will be settled in autumn of 2013, the Tajik leader promised.

The 201st Russian military base, created on the basis of the former 201st division in 2004, has around 7,000 personnel. It is Russia's largest military formation stationed abroad. The Russian base has its branch formations in Dushanbe, Kurgan and Kulyab in the south and east of Tajikistan, respectively. The term of presence of the Russian base in Tajikistan expires in 2014.

In October 2012 of leaders of Russia and Tajikistan signed an agreement which extends the Russian base' presence on the territory of Tajikistan until 2042.

On Wednesday President Rakhmon submitted the Russian-Tajik agreement on the status and the duration of the presence of the Russian base to the Tajik parliament for ratification.