SOCHI, October 7. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Tajikistani President Emomali Rakhmon are concerned over the situation in Afghanistan, but boosting Russian military presence in Tajikistan is out of the question, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday, commenting on the two leaders’ Tuesday meeting.
"At present, the Russian presence in Tajikistan is intended, in accordance with international law and bilateral agreements, to ensure stability and security in this really volatile region," the Kremlin spokesman said.
"No agreements were made yesterday on building up the presence [of the Russian armed forces in Tajikistan]," Peskov said. "But both Putin and Rakhmon agreed that the developments in Afghanistan and in the adjacent region are causing concern," Peskov said.
The two countries’ president held a meeting in Putin’s residence Bocharov Ruchei in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi on Tuesday. They discussed prospects for the development of bilateral relations, issues of security in the zone of responsibility of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO). Rakhmon, in particular, expressed concern over the deterioration of the situation in Afghanistan. "The situation is deteriorating with each day in Afghanistan, hostilities are in essence ongoing at over 60% of the border," Rakhmon said.