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Tajikistan’s parliament may ratify deal on Russian military base October 1

The two countries’ presidents signed the agreement in October 2012, in May Russia ratified the document

Photo ITAR-TASS/ Vladimir Smirnov

Photo ITAR-TASS/ Vladimir Smirnov

DUSHANBE, September 23 (Itar-Tass) - The lower house of Tajikistan’s parliament on October 1 will consider ratification of an agreement on terms of deployment of Russia’s 201st military base on the territory of the Central Asian republic, parliamentary speaker’s spokesman Makhmadullo Sultonov told Itar-Tass on Monday.

“On Monday, the lower house’s council chaired by speaker Shukurdzhon Zukhurov considered the Russian-Tajik agreement on deployment of Russia’s 201st military base and submitted it for discussion at the next session on October 1,” he said.

The two countries’ presidents signed the agreement in October 2012. In May Russia ratified the document. On September 18 Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon submitted the agreement to the parliament for consideration.

“The agreement meets state and national interests of both Russia and Tajikistan and will be undoubtedly ratified,” Tajik parliamentarian and political scientist Sukhrob Sharipov told Itar-Tass. “Russia has fulfilled all interim agreements with Tajikistan, including those on duty free supply of petroleum products, preferences for Tajik labour migrants in Russia and military-technical support for our country’s armed forces.”

“The presence of the Russian military base is especially timely for Tajikistan taking into account the withdrawal of the NATO forces from Afghanistan in 2014,” he said.

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