Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

After a quite fruitful recent visit to the Central Asian state Kyrgyzstan, Russian President Vladimir Putinis visiting Tajikistan.

Face-to-face talks between Russian and Tajik Presidents Putin and Emomali Rahmon were held on Friday at the Palace of the Nation in Dushanbe, Avesta.Tj news agency reported.

The two presidents discussed the prospects of Tajik-Russian relations in the areas of mutual interest.

After the meeting, an expanded meeting of the parties' delegations was held.

The main issue on the agenda was the future of the Russian military base in Tajikistan.

The base was opened in 2004 and hosts Russia's largest military contingent deployed abroad.

Talks on the extension of the base's lease, which expires in 2014, came into a deadlock earlier this year as the sides could not agree on the length of the new lease and the payment terms.

A total of 7,000 Russian troops are stationed at three military garrisons collectively known as the 201st military base - in Dushanbe, the southwestern city of Qurgonteppa some 100 km from Dushanbe, and Kulob, about 200 km to the southwest of the capital.

Moscow planned to extend the lease of the base for 49 years, but Dushanbe proposed to cut the extension to 10 years. Tajik authorities also demanded that Russia pay at least $250 million a year for the lease.

Under the current agreements Russia does not pay Tajikistan for its military base, but renders the country military and technical assistance.

Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said in September that the sides were "very close" to signing the lease extension agreement, but the final decision has to be made by the presidents because "without their political will these issues can never be settled," RIA Novosti reported.

After making the joint statement the presidents are to visit the 201st Russian military base.

Putin arrived on an official visit to Tajikistan late on Thursday. The agenda of the visit also focuses on bilateral cooperation in the economy, trade, industry, power, security and labor migration areas.

Moreover, the parties will discuss international issues, including the situation in Afghanistan.

A package of documents will be signed during Putin's visit.

The two countries signed over 200 intergovernmental documents so far.

"Relations with Russia are among priorities in the foreign policy of Tajikistan," the Foreign Ministry of Tajikistan said. "Key economic and strategic interests of Tajikistan are involved. The Tajik-Russian relations are built upon the principles of strategic partnership and are defined by basic interstate agreements."

Business circles of Tajikistan and Russia will discuss the investment and collaboration projects in Dushanbe, news agencies reported.

A meeting between the Russian and Tajik business communities will take place in Dushanbe during Putin's visit.

The aim of the meeting is to discuss possible Tajikistan's accession to the Customs Union, to attract Russian investments to the national economy of Tajikistan, to implement joint projects, the Coordination Council of Business and Public Associations of Tajikistan said.

According to Tajikistan's statistics agency, Russian-Tajik trade turnover amounted to $650 million in the first eight months of this year, which is 2.7 per cent less than in the same period of last year. Almost $590 million of the total trade turnover volume is made up by Tajik imports from Russia.

Russia remains the biggest trade partner of Tajikistan. Bilateral trade exceeded $1 billion in 2011.