DUSHANBE, February 9, 2011, Asia-Plus -- Russian Defense Minister Antoly Serdyukov is expected to arrive in Dushanbe today evening for a short working visit.

The source at the Tajik Ministry of Defense (MoD) says that during his stay in Dushanbe, Serdyukov is scheduled to hold talks with high-ranking Tajik state officials and visit headquarters of Russian military base in Tajikistan.

The sides are supposed to discuss a broad range of issues related to military and military-technical cooperation between Tajikistan and the Russian Federation and it cannot be ruled out that the issue of use of the Ayni airfield will also be among major topics of the talks, the source noted.

We will recall that an official opening of the renovated Ayni airfield belonging to the Tajik Ministry of Defense was held on September 3, 2010.  According to the presidential press service, some 70 million U.S. dollars have been spent by the Tajik and Indian sides for rehabilitation of the airfield.  The airfield, located some 20 kilometers west of Dushanbe, now has state-of-the-art navigational and defense technology.  Its runway was also extended to 3,200 meters so that all types of aircraft can land there.

In a report released at a news conference in Dushanbe, Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi revealed on January 27 that Tajikistan is conducting negotiations on use of the Ayni military airfield only with Russia.  “The negotiations are not in the hot phase that means that we do not conduct permanent dialogue,” said the minister, “The negotiations are being conducted without any rash, as the need arises.”  He added that positions of the sides on that subject had already been determined.

It is also to be noted that Tajik Defense Minister Sherali Khairulloyev met with his Kyrgyz counterpart his Kyrgyz counterpart Abibill Kudayberdiyev in the Tajik northern city of Qairoqqum on February 8.   The two reportedly discussed issues related to current military and political situation in the region and factors that could contribute to destabilization of the situation in the region.