DUSHANBE, September 11, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov arrived in Dushanbe Friday morning on a working visit.

According to the press service of the Ministry of Defense (MoD) of Tajikistan, today afternoon, Russian minister will meet with Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi and Defense Minister Sherali Khairulloyev.

Serdyukov arrived in Dushanbe within the framework of agreements reached during the last visit of Russian president Dmitry Medvedev to Tajikistan in July this year.

Negotiations are being held at the headquarters of the Russian military base in Dushanbe and issues related to amendments to the government-to-government agreements between Tajikistan and the Russian Federation on the composition and structure of the military base as well as on real estate and land plots allotted for the military base that were signed in Dushanbe on October 16, 2004 are the a major topic of the discussions.

We will recall that Tajik and Russian presidents dedicated the first permanent Russian military base in Tajikistan on October 17, 2004.  President Emomali Rahmon and President Vladimir Putin signed an agreement establishing permanent posts in Tajikistan for the troops of the base formed on the basis Russia’s Motorized Rifle Division 201 and formalizing the legal status of the unit’s presence on October 16, 2004.  The military base’s personnel are located in Dushanbe, Qurghon Teppa, and Kulob.