There are growing signs of unease within Tajikistan’s Ministry of Defense over relations with Western militaries. While these ties are valued and needed in order to assist in reforming key military infrastructure, Tajik officials are becoming increasingly cautious regarding Western security-assistance ties. The Tajik Ministry... MORE

On April 21 a session of the CIS Council of Interior Ministers opened in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. The agenda included the routine security issues of combating terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking, and the arms trade. The meeting could lead to the creation of a single center holding... MORE

Tajikistan's military leadership has expressed public concern over the country's recent trend toward closer involvement with the NATO Alliance as a mechanism through which Dushanbe will gain enhanced military and security capabilities. The apparent turn in the direction of Tajikistan's stated aims in this sphere... MORE

Tajikistan's government, committed to the improvement and gradual reform of the armed forces and security services, sent a worrying signal this week by rescinding its experiment with contract servicemen within its army. This may be interpreted in some quarters as a gambit on the part... MORE

On February 17 Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmonov received Colonel Alexei Zavizyon as the new commander of the Russian 201st Motorized Rifle Division (MRD) based in Tajikistan. The otherwise normal passing of the former commander of the base was noted for its emphasis on the renewed... MORE

Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmonov has declared his intention to raise the combat readiness of the Tajik armed forces in order to address adequately the security threats facing the country. Such familiar language, usually employed for wider political reasons, was utilized in the unusual setting of... MORE

Amid rivalries over energy supplies between a number of post-Soviet states, international media outlets have largely ignored Tajikistan's initiatives with Iran for hydroelectricity. Tajikistan is an important part of the Central Asian power system, which has a high potential for producing hydroelectricity, but it has... MORE

The authorities in Dushanbe, fully aware of the growing security issues confronting Tajikistan and the region as a result of drug trafficking, are making gradual inroads into finding alternative partners to support domestic efforts to tackle the problem. Notably, this policy need has raised the... MORE

Dushanbe's efforts to stem the flow of narcotics through its porous borders have been highlighted by the authorities in an attempt to reassert Tajikistan's domestic security credentials. Yet, despite these moves by the regime itself, security officials continue to seek international help for Tajikistan's security... MORE

Tajikistan has launched another serious diplomatic effort aimed at increasing its border security capabilities and addressing the long-standing international security issues presented by the weakness of the Tajik-Afghan border. Dushanbe is looking not only towards the United States and NATO, but also seeking funding from... MORE