Tajikistan: Western Military Attention Making Russia Jealous

It looks like all the attention that Tajikistan has been receiving recently from the United States and NATO is making the Kremlin jealous.

Just a few weeks ago, relations between Moscow and Dushanbe seemed poised for a serious downturn. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. But reports that Tajikistan might consider hosting an American military facility -- or at least engage in close cooperation concerning the opening of an Afghan supply route -- seem to have induced Russia to reconsider its stance.

According to the Tajik state-run Khovar News Agency, President Imomali Rahmon will visit Moscow on February 24, marking his second trip to the Russian capital within the span of just a few weeks. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

Rahmon and top Russian officials plan to discuss ways to "accelerate the implementation" of agreements signed during Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's visit to Dushanbe in 2008. The visit thus could pave the way for a "reaffirmation of interest" in joint efforts to complete the Rogun dam.

Dushanbe is currently seeking investors for the completion of the $6 billion Rogun dam project on the Vakhsh River.

Tajikistan canceled an agreement to complete Rogun with the Kremlin-aligned Russian concern Rusal in August 2007. Geopolitical factors, chiefly Uzbekistan's opposition to the project, combined with Moscow's desire to court influence in Tashkent, helped sink the Rusal-Tajik deal, observers say.