DUSHANBE, October 22, 2012, Asia-Plus  -- General William M. Fraser III, Commander of U.S. Transport Command (USTRANSCOM), reportedly arrived in Tajikistan on a short visit Sunday evening.

On Monday October 22, USTRANSCOM commander held talks with Lieutenant-General Sheralisho Mirzo, Head of the Border Guard Administration within the State Committee for National Security (SCNS).

Khoushnoud Rahmatulloyev, a spokesman for the Border Guard Administration, says that in the course of the talks, Sheralisho Mirzo appreciated the United States’ support for providing security on the Tajik-Afghan border.

The sides were reportedly in favor of expanding military and military-technical cooperation and training of personnel for Tajik border troops.

On the same day, General Fraser met with Lieutenant-General Ramil Nadyrov, First Deputy Minister of Defense and Chief of the General Staff of Tajikistan’s Armed Forces.

The sides reportedly considered issues related to the current situation in the region, cooperation in providing regional security and training of personnel for Tajikistan’s national army.

It was the third visit of General Fraser to Tajikistan.

USTRANCOM commander made his first visit to Tajikistan in February this year.  In February, General Fraser, who recently took command of USTRANSCOM, met with Colonel-General Sherali Khairulloyev, Minister of Defense for Tajikistan and Lieutenant-General Sheralisho Mirzo, Head of the Border Guard Administration.  General Fraser formally introduced himself and personally thanked them for Tajikistan’s continued support and cooperation.

Fraser’s second visit to Tajikistan took place in May.  In May, General Fraser visited the Nizhniy Panj Border Crossing Point on the Tajikistan border with Afghanistan.  At Nizhniy Panj, General Fraser met with Lieutenant-General Sherali Mirzo and toured the U.S. government-financed Nizhniy Panj Border Crossing Point.

The United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) is one of nine unified commands of the United States Department of Defense.  The mission of USTRANSCOM is to provide air, land and sea transportation for the Department of Defense, both in time of peace and time of war.