AKIPRESS.COM - Russia will be implementing programs for upgrading and rearming the armed forces of Kyrgyzstan as the international coalition force will leave neighboring Afghanistan, Russian Defense Minister, General of the Army Sergey Shoigu said at a meeting with the chief of Kyrgyzstan’s General Staff, Major-General Asanbek Alymkozhoyev on Tuesday.

“Our cooperation is developing rather dynamically, the way it should develop between neighbors, friends and fraternal peoples,” he said. “The current situation requires still faster interaction. There are several reasons for this, number one being Afghanistan and the withdrawal of the international coalition force.”

Shoigu said “this by no means promotes calm or adds to the certainty that everything that has occurred in Afghanistan over years will not require our response again.”

“For our part, we have been doing our utmost to support all programs for upgrading and rearming Kyrgyzstan’s armed forces,” Shoigu said. “The necessary contracts have been concluded and we are already in the process of providing advanced Russian military hardware for the Kyrgyz army.”

Also on Tuesday, Shoigu met with his Tajik counterpart, Lieutenant-General Sherali Mirzo. Against the backdrop of the international coalition’s force withdrawal from Afghanistan the Russian and Tajik armed forces should brace for any march of events, including the most negative one, Shoigu said.

“With this in mind, we believe it is essential to pay priority attention to enhancing the combat potential of the Tajik Armed Forces and the 201st Russian military base. We are determined to furnish support for Tajikistan in maintaining its security further on,” Shoigu promised, reports TASS.