Iran is continuing to increase its ties to Central Asian countries, and has been doing more outreach to Tajikistan for the last half decade.
At the beginning of the year, Iran and Tajikistan signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance security cooperation between the two countries, Iranian state media reported. Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni announced the signing during a two-day visit to Tajikistan this week.
The relationship between Iran and Tajikistan
In May 2022, Iran opened a drone factory in Tajikistan. Iran has also been exporting drones to Russia.According to a report at the American Enterprise Institute, Iran had asked Tajikistan not to use its drones in a dispute with Kyrgyzstan. That report said Tehran had used Ababil-2 type drones in the past.
The Diplomat reported in late 2022 that Tajikistan-made drones were not being used in Ukraine. This is in contrast to the Iranian-made Shahed 136 drones that were used by Russia. Moscow has increasingly used Iranian drones against Ukraine. It is not clear if all of them are made in Iran today or in Russia.
The new agreement signed with Tajikistan in January comes after Iran and Russia also signed a strategic agreement. This is how Iran hedges in its current posture. The country has re-oriented itself toward the East, increasing deals and ties with China, Russia, and other countries.
According to Iranian state media, the new agreement with Tajikistan “focuses on key areas such as combating organized terrorism, human trafficking, and smuggling of nationals.” The report notes that “Momeni and his Tajik counterpart, Rahimzoda Ramazon Hamro, have signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance security cooperation between the two countries.”
The report is light on further details. It says that “the agreement focuses on key areas such as combating organized terrorism, human trafficking, and smuggling of nationals. Momeni expressed optimism that the implementation of the MoU would strengthen security in Iran and Tajikistan.”
It also says that “he also said that addressing issues like terrorism, narcotics, and organized crime – classified as regional and cross-border challenges – could serve as a foundation for closer bilateral cooperation.”