DUSHANBE, April 18, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- A draft agreement on the status and tasks of Russian border-guard advisers in Tajikistan has already been prepared and it will be signed in the near future, Deputy Foreign Minister Nizomiddin Zohidov announced at a briefing in Dushanbe on April 18.

He reminded that when Russian border guards left Tajikistan in 2005 the two sides signed a five-year cooperation agreement that has now expired.

Zohidov stressed that there were no any problems in bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and the Russian Federation.  “Relations between our countries are developing dynamically in all areas,” he noted.

We will recall that Tajikistan and Russian conducted a series of consultations on the on the status and tasks of the Russian border-guard advisers in February and March this year.  Russian border guards handed over responsibility for controlling the Tajik-Afghan border to their Tajik colleagues in 2005, but Russian advisers continue to be deployed on Tajikistan''s borders.

Touching upon relations between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, Tajik deputy foreign minister noted that there were no any unsolvable problems in relations between the two countries.  “Improvement of relations between out countries will be in interest of the Tajik and Uzbek peoples,” he stressed.

Asked about the current situation with transit of Tajikistan-bound freight cars via Uzbek territory, the MFA official noted that the problem has been solved.  “At present freight cars bound for Tajikistan are running through Uzbekistan without any serious delays,” Zohidov added.