Parliament approved the Agreement on the establishment of a Unified Air Defense System.

The Parliament of Tajikistan ratified on December 8 the Agreement between Tajikistan and Russia on the establishment of a Unified Regional Air Defense System.

Photo: Internet

Speaking in parliament, Tajikistan’s Minister of Defense Sherali Mirzo noted that due to growing regional threats, the implementation of this agreement serves the country’s interests in ensuring the security of its airspace.

He emphasized that this is also important in light of the use of new forms of weaponry, such as unmanned aerial vehicles, including by terrorists.

On April 27, during a meeting of the Council of Defense Ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in Dushanbe, the defense ministers of Tajikistan and Russia agreed to establish a Unified Regional Air Defense System. After the meeting with Tajikistan’s Minister of Defense Sherali Mirzo, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu stated that Russia and Tajikistan would create a joint air defense system.

Later, on May 17, Putin instructed the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to begin negotiations with the Tajik side to conclude an agreement on the establishment of an air defense system with Tajikistan.

“This initiative is economically and financially beneficial for further strengthening the country’s air defense. It will also allow Russian forces and air defense equipment to participate in ensuring the security of Tajikistan’s airspace, conducting combat duty using modern equipment without additional costs,” stated Sherali Mirzo.

The Tajik side considers the agreement between Tajikistan and Russia on the establishment of a Unified Regional Air Defense System to be an important factor for ensuring the security of Tajikistan’s airspace. However, despite Russia controlling the airspace over Syria for several years, Damascus has periodically been subjected to attacks, while the Russian air defense system S-300 has shown its ineffectiveness.