Russian government endorsed military agreements for Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev approved and submitted to President Vladimir Putin for ratification an agreement between the Russian Federation and Kyrgyzstan on the status and conditions of the joint Russian military base on the territory of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Protocol on cooperation of both countries in the military field in the period prior to the entry into force of the above-mentioned agreement. In addition, a similar agreement was signed in respect of the Republic of Tajikistan.Kyrgyzstan:
According to official information, the provisions of the agreement and protocol establish a long-term Russian military presence in Kyrgyzstan. In addition, the provisions also provide for legal regulation at the interstate level of issues related to the deployment and operation of a joint Russian military base on Kyrgyz territory.
The agreement and the protocol were signed in Bishkek on September 20 2012 of the year during the visit of President Vladimir Putin to Kyrgyzstan. According to the documents, by the 2017, a united Russian military base will be created in Kyrgyzstan, which will include four military facilities of the Russian Federation existing in the republic today - the Russian base of underwater tests weapons in Karakol, the military communications center in Kara-Balta, the radio seismic laboratory in Maily-Suu, and the CSTO air base in Kant. The combined Russian military base will be located in Kyrgyzstan for 15 years, after which a prolongation of the agreement for 5 years is possible.
Moreover, it was the Kyrgyz side that requested the creation of such a base for protection against terrorist gangs operating in the republic. As the President of Russia stated after signing the documents in September:
- So that everyone who wants to shake up the situation knows that there are forces here that can be involved in the fight against extremism, drug trafficking and terrorism.
Putin then explained that in the near future the situation in Afghanistan is unlikely to improve, and the Russian military presence in the region will help ensure stability.
In December, the Kyrgyz parliament and President Almazbek Atambayev approved the creation of a joint military base of the Russian Federation. During the discussion in parliament, Kyrgyz deputies raised the issue of renting a joint base and the first deputy defense minister Zamir Suerkulov speaking before them said that the Russian military intend to pay 2012 million dollars annually for the right to be in the territory of Kyrgyzstan. And the president of Kyrgyzstan, commenting on the agreement, stated the following:
- The agreement added a clause according to which the military units of the joint military base of the Russian Federation together with the armed forces of the Kyrgyz Republic will provide protection of the sovereignty and security of the republic, will oppose a possible armed attack by international terrorist groups. It is also envisaged that the Russian side will provide the Kyrgyz Republic with modern weapons, military and special equipment.
Tajikistan:
The most numerous Russian military contingent outside the Russian Federation has been deployed in Tajikistan. Units of the Russian 201 military base in Dushanbe, Kulyab and Kurgan-Tube total about 6 thousand troops. In October last year, the heads of Russia and Tajikistan agreed to extend the agreement on the 201 base on 49 years - as noted by Vladimir Putin:
- Thus, reliable protection of our common strategic interests, strengthening of security and stabilization of the situation in the entire Central Asian region will be ensured
However, the Tajik parliament has not yet ratified this treaty, as well as in general, Dushanbe has not decided on its vector.
Earlier, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin expressed the hope that the issue would still be resolved diplomatically, “otherwise, indeed, the Russian Defense Ministry will take some kind of action in order to ensure the full viability of our military grouping”:
- The Russian military presence within the framework of this 201 base is an absolute deterrent to extremism and a guarantee of security, perhaps the most important for Dushanbe. The misunderstanding (by the authorities of Tajikistan) of this factor is strange.
In his opinion, the position of Tajikistan, as well as of Uzbekistan, which suspended its participation in the CSTO, is due to such a “influence factor” as the presence in Afghanistan of a large military group - the International Security Assistance Force.
- After the departure of the NATO group from Afghanistan, the situation, I hope, will change, but so far the presence of this factor creates a field of instability and unpredictability of the behavior of some of our partners.
As Yury Solozobov, director for international projects of the Institute of National Strategy, stated when commenting on the fact of approval and transfer to the Russian president for ratification of the above-mentioned documents, this issue concerns Russia's withdrawal to the former southern borders of the USSR.
“Without ensuring the security of the mountain borders of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, we will not have reliable protection: neither border, neither customs, nor anti-terrorism, nor anti-narcotic, nor any other.
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