DUSHANBE. Oct 1 (Interfax) - Russian military assistance to the Tajik Armed Forces has reached $411 million, Tajik Defense Minister Sherali Khayrulloev said on Tuesday.
"Russia has rendered $411 million of military technological assistance since 2005," he said.
The defense minister made the statement after the lower house of the Tajik parliament ratified the interstate agreement on the status and terms of presence of the Russian military base in Tajikistan.
The agreement extends the presence in Tajikistan of Russia's largest army base outside of its national territory until 2042 and allows for automatic extensions of the agreement's validity every five years.
About 500 Tajik citizens are being trained for free at Russian military schools, Khayrulloev said. In all, Russian schools have trained 2,014 Tajik officers, among them top-raking military commanders, during the period of independence in Tajikistan.
"By signing the agreement on the Russian military base, in exchange Tajikistan receives assistance in the form of aircraft, communication systems, artillery, air defense launchers and firearms," the Tajik defense minister said without going into details.
The 201st Russian military base is stationed near three Tajik cities - Dushanbe, Kurgan-Tyube and Kulyab. The base is manned by approximately 6,000 soldiers and officers. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Tajik counterpart Emomali Rahmon signed the base agreement on October 5, 2012.