Russia and Tajikistan will soon sign an intergovernmental agreement under which Russia will assist in the construction of a modern border checkpoint on the Tajik-Afghan border section. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said this on Wednesday following talks with Tajik Foreign Minister Sirodjiddin Mukhriddin.
"Today we have discussed the steps that are being taken to strengthen the Tajik-Afghan border both in the context of the CSTO activities and bilaterally. The Russian Armed Forces regularly conduct exercises on counter-terrorism, and in the near future we expect to sign an intergovernmental agreement under which we will provide financial assistance for the construction of a modern border guard post on one of the sections of the Tajik-Afghan border," the Minister said.
Lavrov said that his Tajikistan counterpart shares the opinion that the 201st Russian military base in Tajikistan is an essential factor of stability and security in Central Asia.
According to the Russian Foreign Minister, Russia is concerned about the activation of terrorists in northern Afghanistan. "We are concerned about the activation of militants of international terrorist organizations in the northern provinces of Afghanistan. We are ready - and will implement this in practice - to provide Dushanbe with all necessary assistance in combating terrorism, extremism and drug trafficking," Lavrov said.
According to the Minister, threats to the common security of Russia and Tajikistan remain primarily in the context of the situation in Afghanistan "in the light of the beginning or at least the announced withdrawal of the US and NATO troops from this country". In this connection, Moscow and Dushanbe have reviewed the implementation of agreements on cooperation in the military and military-technical fields, including Russia's assistance in modernizing Tajikistan's armed forces, Lavrov stressed.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS