DUSHANBE, October 16, Asia-Plus -- Major-General Maruf Hasanov, the head of Tajikistan''s Defense Ministry''s Administration for Foreign Military Cooperation, told Asia-Plus on October 13 that reports that India is going to open its military base in Tajikistan “are extremely exaggerated.” 

Hasanov’s comment has come after Russia’s website Utro.ru reported that India is allegedly building its military base at the Ayni airfield, some 5 kilometers to the west of Dushanbe, and intends to deploy its 12 jetfighters to this airfield, by the end of this year.   

            Hasanov noted that Indian specialists have participated in rehabilitation of the Ayni airfield in Tajikistan since 2002.  Besides, it is also planned that Indian specialists will provide assistance in training of pilots for Tajik national army as part of military cooperation between the two countries, according to him.  “An agreement on this subject has not yet been signed,” said Tajik defense official, “At present we are negotiating this issue with our Indian partners.”

According to Hasanov, the Ayni airfield is expected to be finished in early 2007, and after that Indian specialists will arrive in Tajikistan. 

In the meantime, Russian military base stationed in Tajikistan also intends to re-deploy its helicopters and planes to the Ayni airfield.  The Russian planes are currently deployed at the Dushanbe airport.  Russian news agency RIA Novosti quoted Russian Defense Minister Sergey Ivanov as stating in December 2005 that Russia is interested in using the reconstructed Ayni airfield to deploy the helicopters and squadrons of its Air Force, which are air support of the Russian military in Tajikistan.  

As it had been reported earlier, the website DefenceIndia.com reported in April this year that India will deploy 12 MiG-29s to Tajikistan by the end of 2006.  Tajik defense authorities denied that report as “unfounded.”  The Indian media also reported the expansion of an April 2002 bilateral Tajik-Indian agreement on military cooperation providing for the training of Tajik pilots and air-force personnel by Indian military advisers and a 2003 deal for a $10 million Indian grant for the modernization of the facility''s airstrip and communications equipment.