Russian base in Tajikistan to remain for 49 more years

Tajikistan has agreed on the Russian version of an agreement on the deployment of the 201st military base on its territory. After 2014, the base will remain in Tajikistan without compensation. After the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan, the Russian base will be a guarantor of security for the republic from threats from the south.
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For Russia, the military base in Tajikistan is first and foremost a guarantee of its own security. China is also following in similar footsteps and planning to set up a base in Pakistan. When NATO contingent leaves Afghanistan in 2014, a war might break out in the region with renewed vigor and will easily spread to the neighboring countries, says a fellow at the Institute of World Economics and International Relations, Alexander Krylov.

This base is very important for Russia because it is located near the Afghan border and assures security at its outer approaches. After the U.S. pullout from Afghanistan, the situation in the region will worsen radically. It’s crucial for Russia to have means to respond to new challenges. The radical Islamists might try to cross the Afghan border. In these circumstances, the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization can play the role of containing buffer which will stabilize the situation. The Russian military presence at the borders of the former Soviet Union will be a stabilizing factor. Not only Afghanistan, but also Iraq, Syria and Kurdistan will be the territory of a large war in the future. We are monitoring a single zone of instability and fighting the outcome of which is unpredictable,” Alexander Krylov said.