DUSHANBE, January 6, 2012, Asia-Plus – Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has submitted the Russian-Tajik agreement on border cooperation for ratification to the State Duma (Russia’s lower house of parliament), the Kremlin report on January 5.

The agreement reportedly provides for keeping Russia’s presence in Tajikistan through the group of the border-guard cooperation of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) in Tajikistan, participation of Russian representatives in improving the border control system and ensuring border security of Tajikistan, training of personnel for Tajik border service as well as cooperation in countering terrorism, religious extremism, illegal migration and transnational organized crime.

Meanwhile, in a statement released on December 9, Tajik border service notes the agreement on border guard cooperation and a number of interagency protocols determining principles and new format of relations on the border-guard issues were signed between Tajikistan and Russia in Dushanbe last September during Russian president’s visit to Tajikistan.  “Under the new agreement, the body of advisers within the group of the border-guard cooperation of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) in Tajikistan was abolished.  At present, Russian border officers are serving in Tajikistan as consultants and teachers at the Higher Border Guard Service School in Dushanbe without trip to the border lines.”

We will recall that Tajik and Russian border guards discussed a new draft agreement on the border-control cooperation issues last year.

When Russian border guards left Tajikistan in 2005 the two sides signed a five-year cooperation agreement that has expired this year.

Russian border guards controlled the Tajik-Afghan border for more than 100 years before handing over responsibility to their Tajik colleagues in 2005.  But Russian boarder-guard advisers continue to be deployed in Tajikistan.

Negotiations that were conducted between Tajik and Russian border services last year focused on the status and tasks of those Russian border-guard advisers.