In September Moscow undertook two earnest steps bound to directly sway the situation in Central Asian region and the attitude of the former Soviet republics towards Russia. Either of them is aimed at the defense of interests related, first of all, to Russia itself, but thus or otherwise, they both should tell upon the processes taking place beyond its boundaries.
The first of them is concerned with collaboration in military realm. Though the issue on the first Russian military base abroad was on the agenda of the Russian-Tajik negotiations one managed to have settled it earlier with the Kyrgyz republic. From now on the legitimate Russian air base mustering about three hundred planes will exist on the territory of Kyrgyzstan being Tajikistan neighbor. Russian militaries will not only ensure the security of their own Motherland being several thousand kilometers far but that one of their allies as well; here Kyrgyzstan comes first. This is the solution attained by the heads of the two states during the sojourn of the president of the Kyrgyz republic in Russia in the middle of September. Though besides Russian militaries the forces of NATO countries-members have been over two years on the territory of Kyrgyzstan still it is Russia whom the republic trusted to guard its southern frontiers; by this act Kyrgyzstan proved to have followed the negotiations signed with the frameworks of CIS and bilateral intergovernmental links.
Meanwhile, the statement of the chief of the headquarters under the Committee on state frontier guard Nuralisho Nazarov running to the effect that the country doesn't need the help of Russia in guarding its frontiers turned out to be utterly unexpected for many people. The government of Tajikistan hurried to explain that N. Nazarov's statement is his purely personal stance unrelated anyhow to the policy of the state in the field of national security. The vice-premier of the republic Saidamir Zuhurov supervising military departments of the country delivered this refutation before press. I deem, it is just that contradiction which should shed light on the reasons of lingering compliance of issues in reference to an construction of a Russian military base in Tajikistan; Russian motor-shooting division 201 bound to serve as a foundation. The information seeped into press beforehand that in exchange of ratification of documents concerned with the status of a Russian military base Tajikistan demands for the debts to the amount of 250 million dollars being written off. The stumbling stone ins the issue concerning an appurtenance of the air defense base in Nurek. However, the question arises: is it the only problem that withheld negotiations? A multitude of other items of economic slant seem to exist being associated with the problem of launching a Russian military base in Tajikistan. It is not excluded that the Tajik party may be waiting for realization of many promises on such items as assistance in hydro electric power stations in the republic, granting benefits to Tajik laboring sojourners. The unrelieved situation shaped around Russian-Tajik cooperation might have engendered the ideas on changing the policy of the country among high rank officials of Tajikistan, militaries inclusive; they prefer to orient it on the terms of the states rendering practical aid in the formation of the republic. In this context one should look upon potential requirements of the countries which promised investments or started an implementation of joint economic projects on the territory of Tajikistan; the construction of Anzob tunnel being referred here.
There is one more aspect of the problem. Isn't the solution of Russia on forcing the construction of a military base in Kyrgyzstan a demonstration of its not needing especially the services of Tajikistan? If it is so, then it will be Kyrgyzstan that may enjoy benefits from Russia, not Tajikistan. The principal one of the latters can be an inclusion of the Kyrgyz Republic into the so-called Union four in the nearest time; the members being Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan.
The second Russian step undertaken by president Putin and concerned with introduction of amendments into the Law of the Russian Federation "On Citizenship" is a convincing proof of the fact that Russia begins to speak the language of its nearest neighbors. I am inclined to think that a considerable relief of procedures associated with obtaining Russian citizenship by Putin through the State Duma is not only the motions on which are forwarded the result of undertakings on the part of CIS countries leaderships and Russian-speaking population residing all over the post-Soviet space, it is aimed at reinforcement of national security of the country either. I suppose, Russia has a stake in the accrual of its citizens on the territories of the former Soviet republics because they may upheld pro-Russian moods in these countries. It is in the first. In the second - is it worth to refuse from the people assisting in the economy of the country to a considerable extent? I mean numerous laboring sojourners, students of higher schools, scientists granting their intellect in favor of Russia, militaries providing national security of Russia abroad. Namely this category of people may be assigned to Russian citizenship in case Putin's motions are carried into effect. To say the truth, this inventory includes also veterans of war and labor who made contributions into the development of the USSR, but their number is small and they are hardly to be a nuisance for Russia.
There is one more factor, to my mind, which spurred the president of Russia to this undertaking. It is a well-known fact that the process of assimilation of the Russian population with the Chinese one has been enhancing every year in the Far East. Though you can't speak openly about it not to bring harm to good-neighborly relations with the Chinese People's Republic it can't help putting Russia on the alert. Because there exists a great danger of estrangement in reference to a vast part of the Russian territory as the southern neighbor's numerosity obviously surpasses the native population of Russia. Isn't it better to accord such opportunity to the people being nearer to Russian culture? I presume that social researches of Russian scientists might have induced the presidential service of Russia to take into consideration the version concerned with the situation.