Tajikistan wants $250 mln for Russian base

Tajikistan authorities want Moscow to pay USD250 million a year to keep a Russian military base on their territory, a news report said Thursday. According to Russian news agency (Ria Novosti), a Tajik source said that a new draft agreement on the prolongation of the base’s presence in Tajikistan included 20 provisions, which are "unclear and unacceptable for Russia." "The Tajik authorities have estimated the presence of the 201st base on their territory at least USD250 million a year," the source indicated on the two countries' negotiations about extending the facility's rent. According to a source in the General Staff the Russian Armed Forces, Tajikistan put forth more than 20 "demands that are unclear and unacceptable for Russia." For his part, a source in the Russian Defense Ministry's central office declined either to confirm or deny the figure of $250 million because, he said, Russia had not yet received any Tajik draft of their base rent agreement. The Tajik Defense Ministry, for its part, dismissed Russia's stance on this matter as "politically inappropriate".