On October 8, Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, for a three-day state visit centered on boosting ties with former Soviet republics and reinforcing Russia’s influence in Central Asia.
During his stay, Putin is set to hold bilateral talks with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, followed by a Russia–Central Asia summit involving leaders from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. On the final day, heads of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Belarus will join them in a Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) meeting.
For Russia, strengthening political, military, and trade relations in the region is becoming more vital amid ongoing Western sanctions linked to its war in Ukraine.
Tajikistan, despite being a member of the International Criminal Court which has issued a warrant for Putin over alleged war crimes, poses no legal threat to him while he is in Dushanbe, the ICC lacks enforcement power and Tajikistan relies on deep strategic ties with Moscow.
