Whether it is fortuitous or not, but after having become independent states Russia and Tajikistan left the date of February 23 as the day of creation of the Armed Forces of their own. The resolution on creating of the National army was adopted by Tajik legislators just 10 years ago when the civil war was in full swing and the struggle for reinstatement of the constitutional frameworks in the country went on. After collapse of the USSR there had been taken a decision on CIS level that all the newly-formed states will own all the property left on their territories, in spite of it Tajikistan didn't get military technique and ammunition, a contingent of officers and soldiers. The paralyzed power had no time to tackle the job of dividing inheritance. Having taken advantage of the tumultuary confusion in the country Russia took under its own jurisdiction practically all military units with their property. Anti-aircraft defence (AAD) media were dismantled in the scheme of urgency and exported to Russia. When the National army of Tajikistan was created on the base of the National Front is mastered only several scores of armoured cars. It was provided basically with shooting equipment. Not a single country of the post-war space was offended so as Tajikistan. A state without army is no state. It is a well-known fact that in the majority of countries military expenditures are no less than a quarter of state budget. Some states allot almost a half of their budgets for these goals. Such was the situation in the period of the so called "cold war", for example. The plight of Tajikistan was complicated in addition by the real economy crisis caused by the civil war. In order to be the state which is able to defend its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity one had to urgently fortify the Armed Forces. As in those years Russia continued to play a leading role in the processes taking place in the post-Soviet space, in Central Asia, in particular, they staked on the military -technical aid of this country. To say the truth, one could lay accounts with Uzbekistan as the nearest neighbour which strove to actively influence the situation in the region. But there existed the threat of losing national independence. More democratic Russia, its remoteness from Tajikistan in this situation were more acceptable for the Tajik leadership. And the positions of states in many issues of outward policy coincided as well. So Tajikistan and Russia which reckoned to preserve its influence in Central Asian region became strategic allies. They began to form battalions, regiments, brigades equipped with Russian ammunition. The number of soldiers and officers were multiplying. Small military subdivisions steeled in severe battles turned into a basis for the National army though the civil war bore a character of the fight for local seniority the head of the Tajik state obliged military chiefs to bravely call to the Armed Forces ranks representatives of all areas. It was a very wise solution as namely this factor played an important role in consolidation, and not only in the army, but in the society upon the whole. The steps undertaken after the conclusion of the Agreement on peace and concord in 1997 on a conference of the detachments under the former Tajik opposition with the subdivisions of the functioning army were quite justified. As in any army the strength of Armed forces is in its being skillfully trained, on professionalism of soldiers and officers, in its ammunition. Of course, we even can't dream of the ammunition the armies of the leading countries have for the time being. But by their moral spirit Tajik soldiers and officers surpass many others. Now this spirit is conveyed to young fellows who replenish the Armed Forces.
We can't say that everything goes smooth and easy. There are a lot of problems in military sphere. There is lack of nourishment, accoutrement; there are bad phenomena inherited from the Soviet army, in particular, differentiation between the superior (senior soldiers) and the inferior (junior soldiers) when the latters are brutally oppressed by the formers. But for the last two-three years the military leadership of the country took no few measures to reduce to minimum the cases of this type of relations between soldiers denied by the official military statute. Procurement of the army with food and accoutrement is bit by bit improving. Gradually the fright of serving in the army is disappearing, so the situation is changing for the better. The youth begins to comprehend that army service is a duty of every citizen. It is merit of military commissariat, local authorities conducting unremittingly propagandistic and explicatory work. The other day the American embassy handed in a big batch of accoutrement to Tajik military servicemen. The leadership of the Tajik state has also other plans on a development of military collaboration with the United States. For example, it is an equipment of borderguard units with modern media of observation. Now Tajikistan develops collaboration in military sphere with other countries of the West too. Nevertheless, the republic remains a strategic partner of Russia as formerly - it was declared recently by the president of the country Emomali Rakhmonov at CIS summit in Kiev. Those who are skeptical and keeping to the opinion that military collaboration with the West will bring nothing good should cease of being apprehensive. Merely one must understand properly the changed realias of the time as one of the characteristic tokens of it is the world integrative process.