Dushanbe. 28 August. “Asia Plus” -- The Commander of the US Central Command General J. Lloyd Austin III in the framework of his visit to Tajikistan held a number of meetings with the top leadership of the country.

According to the US Embassy in Tajikistan, in particular, General Austin discussed the wide range of issues of common security with President Emomali Rahmon, Lieutenant-General Sherali Mirzo, Major General Sharifzoda Zarif, as well as with the other senior officials of the security services in Tajikistan.

The report notes that during these meetings, General Austin has stressed the importance of the Tajik-American partnership in order to support a stable and prosperous Tajikistan. "Over the last 20 years, the United States co-operate with the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan in order to improve the security and stability in Central Asia. Our joint efforts in the military field, mainly focused on the fight against common threats such as armed extremism and drug trafficking, "- said in a statement.

During these meetings, General Austin confirmed "the readiness of the Central Command to support Tajikistan''s efforts to modernize its armed forces, primarily focusing on increasing the country''s capacity to address the ongoing security challenges."