DUSHANBE, October 27, 2014, Asia-Plus -- A ten-day military exercise for Tajik and French servicemen concluded in the Romit Gorge, Vahdat district on October 26, Faridoun Mahmadaliyev, a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense (MoD), told Asia-Plus in an interview on October 27.

According to him, the purpose of the exercise that involved sub-units of the Mobile Forces of Tajikistan’s Armed Forces and a company of France’s Special Forces was in rehearsing coordination and interaction in combat missions in mountains areas and establishing exchange of information.

The Mobile Forces are the airborne troops of the armed forces of Tajikistan. Similar to the Russian Airborne Troops, the Mobile Forces were created with no increase in military personnel by transferring a unit of the National Army. The Mobile Forces act like as a special forces in Tajikistan, subservient to the Defense Ministry.

We will recall that the Mobile Forces of Tajikistan performed a drill with France’s Special Forces units at Dushanbe International Airport in 2002.  It led to the two nations planning greater military cooperation in the future.

Besides, a military exercise, involving servicemen of the Mobile Forces of the Tajik Army and the 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade of the French Army, took place at the Fakhrobod training ground and in the Romit Gorge in Tajikistan from May 25 to June 1, 2011.