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Russia, Tajikistan creating joint air defenses amid growing regional tension — ambassador

The Russia-Tajikistan air defense system "will be created under the supervision of the defense ministries of both countries," Semyon Grigoryev stressed

Russian Ambassador to Tajikistan Semyon Grigoryev Mikhail Tereshchenko/TASS

Russian Ambassador to Tajikistan Semyon Grigoryev

© Mikhail Tereshchenko/TASS

DUSHANBE, November 21. /TASS/. The creation of an integrated regional air defense system between Russia and Tajikistan is imperative as the situation in the region is becoming increasingly strained, Russia’s Ambassador to Dushanbe Semyon Grigoryev told TASS on Monday.

Grigoryev presented his credentials to President of Tajikistan Emomali Rakhmon on November 21.

"The contractual framework for this [the creation of a joint air defense system by Russia and Tajikistan] already exists. Our countries agree that this cooperation is needed because the situation in the region shows a trend towards the growth of tension," the ambassador said in his first interview to TASS.

The Russia-Tajikistan air defense system "will be created under the supervision of the defense ministries of both countries," the ambassador added.

Deputy Chairman of the Air Defense Coordination Committee under the CIS Defense Ministers’ Council Colonel-General Yury Grekhov said in April that a draft list of military authorities and command centers (command posts) of military units and formations assigned to the Russia-Tajikistan joint regional air defense system had been worked out and was at the approval stage in the air defense department of Russia’s Central Military District to implement the agreement on joint regional air defenses.

Russia and Tajikistan ratified an agreement on creating a joint air defense system in December 2021. Considering that Russia and Tajikistan do not share a common border, the parties to the agreement will designate a separate collective security district in the region within the bounds of the territory and the airspace of Tajikistan.

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