"The Russian military presence in Tajikistan is an important factor to ensure security in Central Asia and in the region," Putin said during a meeting with Russian military leaders positioned there.

According to Interfax news agency, Putin said the situation in the region in general is stable but remains complicated because of the developments in neighbouring Afghanistan. Putin said that Russian intelligence has been monitoring an intense increase in activity of Al-Qaeda members and the Taliban movement in Afghanistan.

Tajikistan's border with Afghanistan is guarded by some 11,000 Russian troops, and it has around 8,000 other troops based in the poverty-stricken republic. Russo-Tajik border cooperation "is an irreplaceable element in the fight against international terrorism and drug trafficking," Putin stressed.

Itar-tass News Agency said that Putin is scheduled to participate in a summit of the Euro-Asian Economic Cooperation Organization which groups, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Krygystan and Tajikstan and Armenia. Itar-Tass quoted Russian sources as saying that the summit will discuss the general strategy of joint cooperation in the next three years.