Tajik president begins three-day visit to Russia

Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon began his three-day visit to Russia on Wednesday with an informal meeting with Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev at the presidential residence near Moscow.

BARVIKHA, October 21 (RIA Novosti) - Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon began his three-day visit to Russia on Wednesday with an informal meeting with Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev at the presidential residence near Moscow.

Speaking at Barvikha, Medvedev expressed hope that the Tajik leader's visit would see a discussion of "all the issues that link our two states."

"I am sure the visit will give an impetus to our relations," the Tajik president said.

On Thursday, the two leaders will hold official talks in the Kremlin, where they could discuss the situation around a Russian military base in the former Soviet republic.

In September, the Tajik Defense Ministry denied rumors that it would charge Moscow $300 million in rent for the base, Russia's largest outside its borders, or that it could be closed.

The 201st Base has about 7,000 personnel, comprising three motorized infantry regiments, a self-propelled artillery regiment, an anti-aircraft missile regiment, and a combat helicopter group.