RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has appreciated Tajikistan’s efforts towards regional connectivity and its inclination to achieve the same through Pakistan.
The army chief expressed these views while talking to Defence Minister of Republic of Tajikistan, Colonel General Sherali Mirzo, who called on him at General Headquarters (GHQ) on Wednesday, said the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a statement.
The COAS said that Pakistan values its brotherly relations with Tajikistan, which are based on shared faith, culture and convergence on all important issues relating to regional peace, security and stability.
According to the ISPR, matters of mutual interests, overall regional situation including recent developments in Afghanistan, especially situation on Tajik-Afghan border, and measures to further enhance bilateral defence collaboration were discussed during the meeting.
The visiting dignitary appreciated Pakistan’s positive role for regional peace and stability, especially Afghan Peace Process, and pledged to keep working for better relations between the two brotherly countries, said the ISPR.
Earlier on July 5, Tajikistan’s president ordered the mobilisation of 20,000 military reservists to bolster the border with Afghanistan after more than 1,000 Afghan security personnel fled across the frontier in response to Taliban militant advances.
The crossings underscored the rapidly deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, where foreign troops near a complete withdrawal after 20 years of war and with peace negotiations stalled.
Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon made a flurry of international calls to discuss the situation with allies in the region, including Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin whose country has a big military presence in Tajikistan. Putin assured Rakhmon that Moscow would support the former Soviet republic to stabilise its border with Afghanistan if needed, both directly and through a regional security bloc, the Kremlin said in a statement.
Tajikistan is also looking into setting up camps for potential refugees from Afghanistan. – TLTP
