The creation of the base is nothing new, he said. "It has existed in Tajikistan for over 40 years, and now has been registered judicially," he pointed out. "The base will be a good barrier to prevent activities of international terrorism," Hoagland believes.
When commenting on Russia's accession to the Central Asian Cooperation Organization, he stressed that Central Asian states were independent and it was their right to make the move. "If people of these countries believe it is good for them, the USA welcomes the move," he added.
Yesterday Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia's accession to the Organization was in line with its national interests.
According to Putin, Russia sees good prospects for cooperation within the Organization. "We are ready to join economic projects, measures to fight terrorism, religious extremism and drug trafficking very quickly," the President pointed out.
The agreement to establish the Central Asian Cooperation Organization was signed in Alma Ata in February 2002 by leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It replaced the Central Asian Economic Community set up in 1994.
