Tajikistan, China hold joint military drills

/By AzerNews/

By Vusala Abbasova

Tajikistan and China are combining forces against the conventional terrorists who break through Afghanistan deep into Pamirs in Tajikistan.

As part of these effort, the interior ministries of the two countries held on June 6 joint anti-terrorist exercises at the training center Magrob in Ramit Gorge in Tajikistan, TajikTA reported.

Interior and security ministers from the Shankhai Cooperation Organization (SCO), including Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, observed the drills.

The exercises were aimed at strengthening cooperation in the field of security and law enforcement, jointly combating transnational crime, as well as protection of security and tranquility in the region.

Lieutenant-General Ramadan Rahimzoda said China is Tajikistan's reliable partner in the combating international terrorism and extremism, according to TASS Agency. He also noticed that in the framework of the SCO or on a bilateral basis, China has shown a willingness to cooperate over the years.

Rahimzoda noted that Chinese counterparts provided Tajik law enforcement agencies the significant logistical support as well as uniforms for police departments.

"Such level of joint exercises are held for the first time and they focused on cooperation in the case of a threat to Tajikistan from Afghanistan," said the general.

The length of the Tajik-Chinese border, extending on inaccessible mountainous region at an altitude of 4,000 meters, is about 500 km. It was guarded by Russian border guards until 2004.