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Russia plans to keep supplying arms to Tajikistan — defense minister

Shoigu stated that military cooperation between Russia and Tajikistan was a crucial factor of stability in Central Asia

MOSCOW, December 9. /TASS/. Russia intends to keep exporting weapons and military equipment to Tajikistan in order to bolster its combat capabilities, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said during talks with Tajikistan’s Defense Minister Sherali Mirzo on the sidelines of a meeting of the defense ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Moscow on Friday.

Shoigu stated that military cooperation between Russia and Tajikistan was a crucial factor of stability in Central Asia.

"We intend to consistently implement joint plans to ensure regional security. To this end, we will continue to provide military and technical assistance and help bolster the combat capabilities of Tajikistan’s Armed Forces. This refers to supplies of Russian arms, troop training and the training of military personnel," Shoigu said.

The Russian defense minister emphasized that the operation of the 201 Russian military base and its enhanced capabilities play a crucial role in regional security.

At the talks, the two ministers focused on pressing bilateral issues and inked a plan for cooperation between the Russian and Tajik defense ministries in 2023.

For his part, Tajikistan’s defense minister spoke about the importance of cooperation between the two countries.

"Since our latest meeting in the framework of bilateral cooperation, a lot of work has been done, including several joint exercises," he said. "I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank you for your assistance and comprehensive support."

Meeting of defense chiefs of SCO, CIS member states

Earlier, Shoigu held working meetings with Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan and Kazakhstan’s Defense Minister Ruslan Zhaksylykov to discuss plans for cooperation between the defense ministries in 2023.

The meeting of defense ministers of the SCO and CIS member states was held in Moscow on Friday.

China’s Defense Minister Colonel General Wei Fenghe spoke via video link. The defense chiefs touched upon international and regional security, as well as further defense and security cooperation. A joint communique was signed at the end of the meeting.

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