"Today there are deliberate efforts by the West on assertive invasion, including humanitarian and military one, into Central Asia ... The development assistance programs promoted by Western geopolitical engineers are in fact instruments of controlling and reformatting the political-economic landscape of the region as they see fit. We urge our friends to critically consider military cooperation and law enforcement training programs imposed by the West," Lavrov said at the Russian-Tajik (Slavonic) University in Dushanbe.
Earlier, speaking at a joint press-conference with Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin, the Russia's top diplomat noted that Russia and Tajikistan highly value their cooperation and will continue to fight against terrorism, extremism and drug trafficking.
"We will continue to fight against terrorism, extremism and drug trafficking and of course we value our allied cooperation and the positions we take in the international arena very much. They are based on allied principles. This is exactly what Tajikistan does when our detractors try to justify on international platforms their actions to prepare a war against Russia over many years by the hands of the racist regime they themselves have nurtured in Kiev," Lavrov told journalists.
Muhriddin, in turn, said the situation in Afghanistan was one of the main topics of discussions.
"We discussed regional security issues with a focus on the situation in Afghanistan. We are united in our assessment of the security challenges and threats posed by the growing number of various terrorist groups in the northeastern provinces of Afghanistan," he said.
The Tajik minister added that both countries would continue to take necessary steps to maintain a high level of bilateral relations.
Moscow will also carry on supporting the modernization of the armed forces of Tajikistan, Lavrov highlighted.
"We talked about the implementation of agreements on military and military-technical cooperation, including the implementation of the program of modernization of Tajikistan's armed forces. We will continue to provide appropriate assistance to Dushanbe. All the planned amounts [of support] will be fulfilled," Lavrov said after the meeting with Muhriddin.
Russia is grateful to Tajikistan for creating conditions for its 201st Military Base and for carrying out activities there, the minister added.
Tajikistan hosts Russian 201st Military Base, one of Russia's largest foreign military facilities, which is deployed in the cities of Dushanbe and Bokhtar. The number of military personnel is about 7,500. Lavrov visited the base on June 5.
Earlier in the day, Sergey Lavrov held talks with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon.
Lavrov arrived in Dushanbe on a visit on June 5. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, during the talks the sides will discuss bilateral relations, prospects for further development of allied relations between Moscow and Dushanbe in political, trade, economic and humanitarian spheres.
The Russian minister also plans to touch upon issues on the international and regional agendas. Another topic of the talks will be the deepening of foreign policy coordination between Russia and Tajikistan in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the CIS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), as well as the UN and the OSCE.
Tajikistan hosts the 201st Russian military base, one of Russia's largest foreign military facilities, which is deployed in the cities of Dushanbe and Bokhtar. The number of military personnel is about 7,500.
Under the agreement on the status and conditions for the presence of the Russian military base on the territory of the Republic of Tajikistan (2012), the stay of the Russian base in the republic has been extended until 2042.
Lavrov visited the base on June 5, the day of his arrival in Tajikistan.