Today is the first day that the heads of CIS security and intelligence services are meeting in Dushanbe. It is the 20th meeting of this kind. Two important issues to be discussed on this meeting: the enhancement of the Council of heads of CIS security and intelligence services and joint protection of fuel […]
The following is a brief roundup of recent notable events in Tajikistan.
French Jet Fighters
Like India and Russia, France has a military presence in Tajikistan, and is redeploying three Mirage fighters for about three months. An RIA Novosti article stipulates that the French embassy did not give a reason for this deployment, but another […]
As a small, landlocked country surrounded by difficult neighbors, Tajikistan makes a business of being everyone’s best friend. Russia has long been the dominant power in the country, and Tajikistan has been building ties with Iran and international organizations as well recently.
Now Tajikistan will become home to India’s first operational foreign military base […]
The Government of Tajikistan has decided not to carry out a planned transition to a professional army, rather than a conscripted one. It has not renounced reform, just Western-prescribed remedies.
Some analysts are suggesting that Tajikistan is increasingly wary of President Bush’s pro-democracy policy, and is increasingly trying to distant itself from Western nations. […]
Tajikistan embarked into the New Year with a decidedly bright future ahead of it in comparison with the rest of Central Asia. Obviously Tajikistan is far from a beacon of democracy and freedom, but keeping in mind gross setbacks for human rights in Uzbekistan, underwhelming elections in Kazakhstan, and a new regime disappointingly […]
India will establish its first toehold in Central Asia by sharing occupation of the Aini airbase and upgrading the Soviet-era facility. This is a significant first step into the region for the Indians, who, according to Martha Brill Olcott’s latest book Central Asia’s Second Chance, have been “biding their time, waiting to […]
Uzbek officials say that Uzbekistan is nearing completion of a decision reached several years ago to liquidate landmines along its Tajik border, according to the new Russian-language Uzbekistan blog, ????? ????????? ????? (The New Word on Uzbekistan, literally the New Uzbek Word). This means that hopefully, Tajik border guards won’t face the same […]
Two Tajik soldiers were confirmed dead today after a landmine exploded beneath their patrol car. Unfortunately, it was only a matter of time before this happened to the border guards; many of the landmines are unmarked, and were not planted by their new Tajik custodians (thanks to Younghusband for that last link).
The landmine […]
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, […]
