DUSHANBE, October 7, 2013, Asia-Plus – Tajik nationals will be eligible to obtain three-year work permits in Russia, instead of the current one-year work permits, Russian State Duma speaker Sergey Naryshkin noted while talking to students and teachers at Russian-Tajik Slavic University (RTSU) in Dushanbe on October 7.

He noted that labor migration problems were quite acute in Russia and relevant structures of the two countries should jointly seek solutions to those problems.

According to him, the labor migration issues were discussed during his discussions with heads of both houses of the Tajik parliament.   

We will recall that Tajikistan and Russia in February this year signed an agreement allowing Tajik citizens to remain for 15 days in Russia without registration. 

Meanwhile, Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service reports that Sergey Naryshkin has called on Tajikistan to “become part of the Eurasian integration process.”

Naryshkin, who is on a one-day official visit to Tajikistan, was scheduled to meet with President Emomali Rahmon and other Tajik officials before leaving for neighboring Kyrgyzstan.

The Russian Embassy in Bishkek told RFE/RL that Naryshkin will hold talks with President Almazbek Atambayev and visit the Russian-Kyrgyz University in Bishkek on October 8.

Moscow has been pushing Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and other former Soviet republics to join a Russian-led Customs Union, which currently comprises Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus.