Russian guards not to return to Tajik-Afghan border - official

DUSHANBE, March 15 (Itar-Tass) - Secretary General of the Collective
Security Treaty Organization Nikolai Bordyuzha does not regard as topical
the theme of Russian servicemen's return to guard the Tajik-Afghan border.
"At present, Tajikistan is strong enough to be able to ensure the
protection of its borders on its own," Bordyuzha told reporters on Tuesday
after talks with Secretary of Tajikistan's Security Council Amirkul
Azimov, which took place in the town of Kairakkum in the republic's
Sogdiisk region, the local mass media reported.
He underlined that Russia had not considered "the issue of returning
its border guards (to the Tajik-Afghan border)."
Nor was this issue on the agenda of the consultations over regional
security problems that have just taken place here.
According to the CSTO secretary general, the "organization's common
task is to help Tajikistan strengthen the security of its borders, as no
country in the world can cope with this problem alone."
Nikolai Bordyuzha also noted the speculations carried by a number of
media outlets regarding Russia's intention to boost its military presence
in Tajikistan.
"There are no reasons for it," he said.
In the course of his four-day visit to Tajikistan, the CSTO secretary
general will discuss regional security issue with the country's
leadership, as well as counteracting extremism, terrorism and
trans-national crime and the situation in Afghanistan.
On March 16-17, he will take part in a meeting of the working group on
Afghanistan under the CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers.