MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd July, 2021) Russia will take measures to prevent aggression against Tajikistan if need be, Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko told Sputnik.
"If necessary, the Russian Federation will take all measures to prevent aggression or territorial provocations in line with the spirit of the Russian-Tajik strategic partnership and alliance," Rudenko said.
The two countries maintain intensive contacts, both bilaterally between the defense ministries and via the mechanisms of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the diplomat added. The units of Russia's 201st military base stationed in Tajikistan, in turn, conduct routine and snap drills.
Russia, Rudenko went on, will continue supporting Tajikistan in boosting its defensive capacity.
Afghanistan bordering Tajikistan is seeing a spike in violence from the Taliban (a terrorist group, banned in Russia) as foreign troops are gradually being withdrawn from the country. The troop withdrawal was one of the points of agreement that the Taliban and the United States reached in Doha in February of last year. Earlier this month, the Taliban took almost the whole Afghan-Tajik border under its control.
