During his working visit to Tajikistan, Commander of Russia’s Central Military District, Colonel-General Alexander Lain, yesterday met here with Tajik Defense Minister, Colonel-General Sherali Mirzo.

According to the Central Military District press center, the two discussed issues related to bilateral cooperation and providing security in the Central Asian region.  

Russian military official reportedly noted the positive dynamics in interaction between the Central Military District and Tajikistan in training of military personnel.

Over the past three years, the number of joint events has reportedly increased nearly two times – to 12.  

During the meeting, Mirzo and Lapin also exchanged views on the issues related to providing security in the Central Asian region.  

The Russian military base deployed in Tajikistan is subordinate to the Central Military District.  It is Russia's largest non-naval military facility outside the country.  It was officially opened in Tajikistan in 2004 under a previous agreement, which was signed in 1993, and hosts Russia’s largest military contingent deployed abroad.  A total of some 7,000 Russian troops are now stationed at two military facilities collectively known as the 201st military base - in Dushanbe and Bokhtar (formerly Qurghon Teppa, some 100 kilometers from Dushanbe.

The Central Military District is a military district of Russia.  It is one of the five military districts of the Russian Armed Forces, with its jurisdiction primarily within the central Volga, Ural and Siberia regions of the country and Russian bases in Central Asian post-Soviet states. The Central Military District was created as part of the 2008 military reforms, and founded by Presidential Decree No.1144 signed on September 20, 2010, as an amalgamation of the Volga–Urals Military District and a majority of the Siberian Military District.  The district began operation on October 21, 2010. 

The Central Military District is the largest military district in Russia by geographic size at 7,060,000 square kilometers (2,730,000 sq mi) (40% of Russian territory) and population at 54.9 million people (39%). The district contains 29 federal subjects of Russia.  

The Central Military District is headquartered in Yekaterinburg, and its current district commander Colonel-General Alexander Lapin has held the position since November 22, 2017.