This news is already a little bit old, but it is important, so is worth mentioning. As mentioned in the previous post, Russia sustained a military presence in Tajikistan after the fall of the Soviet Union. One might expect plans for a gradual withdrawl now that the civil war is long over, but the reality is quite the opposite. Instead, Russia just signed into law the presence of their military base.

The Kremlin website says:

The Agreement establishes the structure of the Russian military base in the Republic of Tajikistan and lays out the legal framework for the organization and establishment structures of Russian military units and divisions in this territory.

The Agreement will serve to guarantee peace and stability in Central Asia and the long-term strategic interests of the Russian Federation.

Interestingly, Russia has seen no need for a law to justify their presence in the region until now. I’m not really a fan of references to the “Great Game,” because I don’t think today’s intrigue is really all that analogous to the nineteenth century struggle, but is tempting to make such a comparison sometimes…