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Russia urges Tajikistan to approve deal on military base

30 May 2013 00:45 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Russia Wednesday urged Tajikistan to ratify the agreement signed by the two countries in 2012 that allows the presence of a Russian military base in Tajikistan, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

"We hope that soon it will be ratified," Yury Ushakov, assistant to Russian President Vladimir Putin, told the media Wednesday in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan, where Putin is attending a meeting of the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

He confirmed that Tajikistan put forward a number of counter offers during a meeting between Putin and his Tajik counterpart Emomalii Rahmon in Bishkek Tuesday.

They will be considered," he said.

The agreement signed in October 2012 allows Russian military presence in three Tajik cities, namely, Dushanbe, Kulyab and Kurgan Tyube, collectively known as the 201st Military Base. The agreement carries a validity of 30 years, with options for extensions by five years.

Russia's lower legislature body the State Duma approved the deal in April 2013.