Rumsfeld Hopes For Greater Cooperation With Tajikistan July 19, 2006
Posted by notapundit in Main, Military News, US News, World News.trackback
DUSHANBE, Tajikistan (AP)–U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld expressed hope for greater cooperation with Tajikistan in a letter to the country’s people released Tuesday by the U.S. Embassy.
Rumsfeld, who visited Tajikistan last week on his way to Afghanistan and held talks with Tajik President Emomali Rakhmonov, conveyed to the Tajik people “the appreciation of the American people for your steadfast support in the global war on terror.”
“The United States recognizes the importance of the countries in Central Asia and looks forward to increasing our cooperation in many areas in the years to come,” Rumsfeld said in the letter.
“You can count on the friendship and goodwill of the American people,” it said.
The U.S. military was expelled last year from a base in neighboring Uzbekistan, increasing the importance of U.S. ties with other countries in former Soviet Central Asia, which lies north of Afghanistan.
Tajikistan hosts about 200 French troops and several aircraft that back North Atlantic Treaty Organization-led operations in Afghanistan, while the U.S. uses a base in Kyrgyzstan.
Russia has a permanent military base in Tajikistan with a 5,000-strong contingent.
[...] Not-a-pundit reports that ‘U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld expressed hope for greater cooperation with Tajikistan in a letter to the country’s people. This letter was released a week later after his visit to Tajikistan. The United States recognizes the importance of the countries in Central Asia and looks forward to increasing our cooperation in many areas in the years to come. You can count on the friendship and goodwill of the American people.”- said Rumsfeld in his letter. [...]