Home | China | World | Business Russia not to Quit Army Bases in Tajikistan: FM THU, FEB 28, 2002     Russia does not intend to quit its military bases in Central Asian countries, including Tajikistan, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov told a news conference in St. Petersburg on Wednesday. The 201st Russian division will remain in Tajikistan for a rather long period as a stabilizing factor, Ivanov told reporters there. He is chairing an ongoing meeting of the Council of Defense Ministers within the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). As for American bases in Central Asia, he said Russia looks on this issue according to official statements by the Pentagon and other United States government institutions. U.S. officials have repeatedly said that the U.S. military presence will be limited by the duration of the military operation in Afghanistan. "For how long this operation will last is anyone's guess," Ivanov said. The Tajik Armed Forces official representative Major General Alexander Grebenshchikov said the CIS countries should coordinate efforts and Russia must lead this process. Kazakhstan's Defense Minister Mukhtar Altynbayev, who is attending the council meeting, said that the September 11 tragedy had thrown the problem into a fresh perspective. He stressed the "presence of bases in our region is justified in the sense of maintaining security and waging the struggle against terrorism." "I believe it will be premature to say whether this is good or bad, as long as the struggle against international terrorism is on the agenda," he said. Editor:Liu Hongji Source:Xinhua Recommend to your friend email:    China Central Television,All Rights Reserved