DUSHANBE, January 25, Asia-Plus -- A ceremonial formation to mark the 10 ^th anniversary of the establishment of “Tsentrospas” (rescue team) at the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) was held in Dushanbe Wednesday morning.  

On this occasion, the Tsentrospas chief Andrey Pilkevich bestowed special medals on all the members of the team.    

According to the Tsentrospas deputy chief, Oleg Pilkevich, the medals have been minted specially for the team’s jubilee.  

Deputy chief of Russian EmergCom (Russian rescue team) within the Russian Emergencies Ministry, Vladimir Legoshin, who attended the ceremony, noted that Russian emergency services were always ready for cooperation with their Tajik colleagues.

“We have learnt a lot from each other,” Mr. Legoshin said, noting that Russia has assisted Tajikistan in training of divers for its emergency services “while Tajik rescuers have no equals in carrying out search-and-rescue operations in case of mudflows and landslides, and we learn it from them.”  

At present, some 50 rescuers are working with the Tajik Tsentrospas and over the past decade, they have carried out some 1,000 search-and-rescue operations and saved some 5,000 people.    

A ceremonial meeting to mark the 10 ^th anniversary of the establishment of the Tajik rescue team will be held at the Opera and Ballet Theatre in Dushanbe today evening.