MOSCOW, Oct 10 (KUNA) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday said Tajikistan is a key partner for his nation lauding the mutual cooperation particularly in the energy and hydroelectric and minerals fields.
Speaking at a news conference in the Tajik capital Dushanbe, Putin said the Afghan government is doing its best to normalize internal conditions "but some problems persist." He also stressed necessity to secure the Tajik-Afghan border as necessary for regional stability.
Maintaining the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is of paramount importance "for our future," Putin said, affirming that the bloc has not lost its significance -- including the humanitarian sector.
Most people have not fathomed repercussions of the Soviet Union collapse and the significance of forming the CIS, said Putin, widely known as holding strong feelings and deep bitterness for the Soviet empire disintegration.
The CIS is responsible for maintaining "the competitive prerogatives of the Soviet era," Putin said, stressing also that the bonds between Russia and the Central Asian states must be safeguarded.
On the ties with Azerbaijan, Putin said the relations were affected "with a crisis of emotions" in the aftermath of the 2024 Azeri plane crash, hoping that this file would be folded. Putin the day earlier acknowledged during a meeting with the Azeri president in Dushanbe that plane was hit with Russian missiles that targeted a Ukrainian aircraft that happened to be in the skies simultaneously.
Putin applauded the formation of the CIS Plus Platform and criticized bids to grant the Noble prize "to those who have done nothing for peace ..." The CIS has created the CIS Plus platform and granted observer status to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
On other issues, Putin said there was "understanding" between Moscow and Washington "on the needed path that should be followed to end Ukrainian conflict with peaceful means." On the Middle East, he said Russia has supported the US initiative to resolve the situation in Gaza, boasted that Moscow holds "better innovations" in the realm of nuclear deterrence. (pickup previous) arn.rk