Russia to boost military on Central Asian border

A Russian military base in Tajikistan will be re-armed with new and upgraded military equipment. The announcement was made by Russian Defence Minister, Anatoly Serdyukov, who is on an inspection tour of bases in the country.

Mr Serdyukov says part of Russia's armaments will be also provided to Tajikistan by 2008.

Bordering Afghanistan, Tajikistan is a key outpost for the Russian military to provide security in the region.

Since the Tajik civil war of the early 1990s, Russian troops have patrolled Tajikistan's border with Afghanistan. They have been tasked with protecting the country's southern frontier from insurgency.