ВЫСТУПЛЕНИЕ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА РЕСПУБЛИКИ ЭМОМАЛИ РАХМОНА (АНГЛИЙСКАЯ ВЕРСИЯ)

                               Speech of the President of the Republic of                       Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon at the                       festive gathering on the occasion of the                       15th anniversary of the Frontier Troops                        (Dushanbe, May 28, 2009)                 Dear officers and privates of the Frontier Troops,                Dear representatives of law-enforcement bodies,                Esteemed audience,                First of all, with the feelings of deep gratitude for our state's and our worthy nation's independence, thanks to which favorable conditions and opportunities for the formation of our national statehood's pillars, including self-dependent and reliable of the country's territory and borders, I would like to congratulate you all on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the establishment of Tajikistan's Frontier Troops and the Frontier Guards Day.                 You know well that the territory of any independent country is considered one the most sacred things of its statehood, and the security of each people or state depends on the degree of its boundaries' protection.                 Since at the initial stage of our independent statehood, when due to certain causes, first of all, due to disruption of border line protection and even leaving it without control in some parts, as well as illicit importation of weapons, narcotics and extremist literature, and penetration of subversive groupings, the country was on the verge of civil war, as early as at the historical 16th Session of the Supreme Soviet, in November, 1992, to ensure reliable defense of state border we first formed a special frontier brigade within the National Security Committee and after ten days established, by a resolution of the Supreme Soviet's Presidium, the Administration for Frontier Defense, also within the mentioned Committee.                   Afterwards, as a result of implementing necessary measures for strengthening state borders of Tajikistan with neighboring countries, particularly Afghanistan, which border had been for many years protected mainly by the Frontier Service of the Russian Federation and partly by units and subdivisions of the Administration for Frontier Defense at the National Security Committee, in 1994 the Frontier Troops of the country were established, and May 28th was proclaimed the Frontier Guards Day.                   In these joyful moments, I would like to remind once again that we created the Frontier Troops, as well all other units and subdivisions of the Armed Forces, in the very complicated period of our country's history, having practically no material and technical basis.                  That is why these troops, which have today turned into an organized, disciplined and reliable structure, are one of the greatest achievements of the period of Tajikistan's independence.                   Establishing the Frontier Troops have not only become, in the new history of Tajikistan's statehood, a significant and crucial event for preserving and strengthening the national state and statehood, protecting the country's security and territory, but has been also a bright demonstration of political independence of the state of the Tajiks.                   I should remind in this connection that after the Frontier Troops of Tajikistan had been entrusted, in 2005, with the task of protecting the borders with neighboring states, their personnel staff's responsibility as protectors of the borders of their ancestors' Motherland and their independent country has increased immensely.                   We all know that the very proclaiming the state independence of Tajikistan, the occurrence had drastically increased of illegal border crossing, smuggling of weapons, ammunitions and narcotics, as well as terrorist and extremists groupings' penetrations into Tajikistan. This all was destabilizing the then existing system of ensuring the security of society and state.                   In those difficult years Russian Border Guards were rendering great assistance to us in defending the Tajik-Afghan frontier and preventing penetrations of armed gangs, and importations of weapons and narcotics. Today we express our gratitude to them for their worthy service and contribution to the formation of our Frontier Troops and training qualified cadres for them.                   At the same time, I would like to note that the guarding and strengthening the state border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan is important not only for our country, since it provides a shield, or buffer zone of sorts, for all member states of CIS and even the European Union.                   This section of the border extends for 1,400 kilometers and consists mainly of difficult and almost impassable regions.                   In other words, in the past 18 years, while ensuring the defense of our country's boundaries, we at the same time have been guarding other states from such threats and challenges of the modern world as the expansion of terrorism and extremism, smuggling of arms and drugs, and transnational organized crime.                  Considering the great importance of this question, since the very first days of the formation of the Frontier Troops, the Government of Tajikistan has been undertaking numerous steps towards forming-up modern normative and legal grounds and necessary material and technical basis, establishment and perfection of commanding border guards units and subdivisions, construction, rehabilitation and equipping of border infrastructure, as well as training and upbringing skilled specialists and cadres.                 With the adoption of the Laws ‘On the State Border of the Republic of Tajikistan' and ‘On the Frontier Troops of the Republic of Tajikistan' the tasks of relevant state structures and bodies have been formulated in what regards the protection of Tajikistan's more than four-thousand-kilometer long borders with four neighboring nations.                  Construction and rehabilitation of border infrastructure, improvement of military service conditions are always controlled by the political leadership of the country, and necessary means are annually allocated from the state budget for this aims.                  Ministries, governmental agencies and local executive bodies of state power actively assist in solving the question of constructing new border guards facilities, repair and modernizing the already existing infrastructure. Thanks to this, conditions at frontier posts are being gradually brought to conformity with modern requirements. This far, 100 newly-built, modernized or repaired posts have been put into operation, while 90 other are in the process of being constructed or repaired.                 If over the past ten years general expenditures on law-enforcement bodies and military structures have increased from 35m somonis in 1999 to 600m somonis in 2009, then expenditures on the Frontier Troops have grown over the same period from two millions to 63m somonis, respectively.During that period, spending of the state budget on the provision of military structures, including the Frontier Troops, with clothing and ammunition has increased from 12m to 60m somonis.                   Along with general expenditures approved by the state budget, military structures and law-enforcing bodies are annually provided with additional funding. Over the past ten years, the amount of additional funding has exceeded 160m somonis, its sum in last year equaling to 34m somonis. Considering the reform of labor remuneration system, raising living standards and reinforcement of servicemen's social protectiveness, regular increase in wages is stipulated for in the state budget starting from 2006. Just in the past five years, the wages of workers and servicemen of law-enforcing bodies have ten times grown.                  Taking into consideration all difficulties of the Frontier Troops' personnel, the Government of Tajikistan has established their wages at the level 1.3 times as big as those in other units and subdivisions of the Armed Forces.                  Yet, we cannot be still satisfied with these measures, and shall undertake all necessary steps to provide border guards with proper conditions, social security and strengthen their material and technical basis.                  In ensuring reliable defense of the state border, along with sufficient material and technical basis, and properly equipped facilities, of paramount importance is the role of skilled and experienced cadres, faithful to their Motherland.                  Taking this into consideration, over the past ten years we have sent more than 500 servicemen of the Frontier Troops for training in military higher schools of foreign countries.                  Beside this, after the founding of the Board Guard High School of the State Committee on National Security we have embarked on training specialists for the Frontier Troops inside the country, so at present several hundreds of young people who had graduated from this military educational institution are on active service in various parts of Tajikistan's state border.                   At the same time, heads of the State Committee on National Security and the  Main Administration of the Frontier Troops should take additionally serious steps to improve the process of training and upbringing cadres and manning the Frontier Troops with predominantly high-skilled and qualified specialists.                  Together with this, they should pay serious attention to retraining cadres and improving their qualification, bringing their professional level to conformity with modern standards.                  While talking of the fifteen-year activity and results of round-the-clock service of our country's border guards, I would like to that the situation with their preventing facts of border trespassing, their capturing drugs smugglers and violators of border regime is constantly improving.                  Since the beginning of their activities, our border guards have detained several thousands of trespassers and violators of border regime, seizing more than 800 units of firearms and more than 10 thousand tons of narcotics.                  Nevertheless, I once again remind that the main and immediate task of servicemen of the Frontier Troops is to prevent drugs smuggling across the state border. Yet, as analyses show, the work in this direction is still far from being satisfactory, all efforts gained so far notwithstanding.                    For example, last year border guards units and subdivisions detained just 20 citizens for committing crimes related to drugs smuggling and illicit circulation, seizing just 1,350 kilograms of narcotics. This is an extremely low result, considering the total amount of drugs smuggling.                     At the same time, in 2008 law-enforcement bodies of the country, taken as a whole, seized more than 8 tons of narcotics, exceeding the 2007 index by 800 kilograms.                   Besides, 287 citizens of Tajikistan were detained in foreign countries for having 693 kilograms of drugs on them.                  This implies the necessity of a stricter coordination between the Main Administration of the Frontier Troops, the Drugs Control Agency and the Customs Service in the field of fighting drugs smuggling and illicit circulation.                  Esteemed audience,                  Current situation in the region, particularly in the state border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan, as well as solving the questions related to ensuring national security and protecting Tajikistan's state interests require, more than ever, that our border guards be always vigilant and ready to carry out their professional duties.                   They are the guardians of their ancestors', people's and state's lands, the boundaries of which should be a reliable shield of Motherland.                    That is why our frontier forces should never let anybody encroach upon the independence of our people and our independent state.                   You should always remember that as far as two-and-a-half years ago, our forefathers had their own army, border protection system and time-tested principles of building fortifications, which was all used for defending their territories and security. Mighty armies of Cyrus the Magnificent and Darius the  Great are bright examples of these ancient traditions of our history.                   In the epoch of the first Tajik national state — under the Samanids — a perfect military structure of border guard also existed, which defended that country's boundaries and nation's security.                   The founder of the powerful centralized state of the Tajiks, Isma'il Samani created such border forces that for more than a century was serving a reliable redoubt from strangers' incursions.                    It follows from the above historical examples that in all times and epochs the Motherland has been considered the most sacred value for every worthy, patriotically-minded son of our nation, and particularly for our border guards who are true heirs to their glorious ancestors.                    Love for the forefathers' land and vigilant protection of its every single inch is in fact service for one's Motherland. That is why both high-ranking officers and rank-and-file soldiers should always be vigilant and serve as a reliable shield for their state and nation.                    Today I would like to address to all functionaries of law-enforcing bodies and servicemen of military structures the heads of which had been invited to this gathering.                  Since our previous meeting, two years have passed, so we decided to seize the opportunity to once again inform you of the goals and tasks of the state in the field of further reinforcing our border line, ensuring our country's security and rule of law.                   I have repeatedly emphasized that ensuring stability, law and order, quietness, rule of law, as well as fighting terrorism, extremism, illegal drugs circulation and organized crime are top priorities for law-enforcement bodies and military structures.                  To ensure their efficient activities, necessary legal and normative basis has been created, and the state, as I have already mentioned, is taking all steps possible to provide the above structures and bodies with material and technical grounds.                   Under the circumstances where the impact of the global financial and economic crisis on our country is gradually growing, we should undertake effective measures to ensure socio-economic security of Tajikistan.                  Necessary instructions regarding this question were given to relevant ministries and agencies at the expanded meeting of the Government. At the same time the Security Council must also carry out a comprehensive study and serious analysis of current socio-economic processes, and subsequently undertake all necessary measures to ensure socio-economic security of the country.                  Along with this, relevant agencies should take under their strict control the questions related to carrying-out the state budget, targeted and efficient use of budget funding by law-enforcement bodies and military structures, as well as implementing tax-and-budgetary policy and preventing any violations of law in this sphere.                  You, heads of law-enforcement bodies and military structures, know all too well that such a shameful phenomenon as corruption is, first of all, discrediting state and power in the eyes of society, leading to considerable economic losses and decrease of our country's authority in the international scene. This is a serious threat to security of the state and stability of the society.                 In last year alone the Agency for State Financial Control and Struggle against Corruption discovered financial losses in the amount of 96m somonis and tax evasions to the tune of 17m somonis while examining the activities of ministries, governmental agencies, local executive bodies of state power, budget-funded organizations and institutions, as well as law-enforcement bodies and military structures.                 In all, the said Agency discovered about 900 corruption-related crimes in 2008.                 Although today we are attending a festive event, I should like to make some observations concerning the factors that lead to servicemen of law-enforcement bodies and military structures losing their prestige.                 First of all, I would like to note that the activities of leaderships of the Armed Forces units and subdivisions, including Defense Ministry, Interior Ministry, State Committee on National Security, Main Administration of the Frontier Troops, Committee of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense, as well as National Guard, Drugs Control Agency, prosecutor's offices, courts and Agency for State Financial Control and Struggle against Corruption, in the field of clearing their staffs from ‘occasional' and self-interested workers and servicemen, and manning their structures with highly-skilled, educated, honest and patriotically-minded cadres still needs further improvement.                 Although the number of crimes committed by servicemen has decreased in comparison to last year, the situation with observing army regulations is far from being satisfactory.                  It is regrettable that some servicemen of law-enforcement bodies and military structures are involved in corruption-related acts, instead of preventing such an indecent behavior and serving as an example for others.Last year, about 100 servicemen of the above structures and bodies were brought to criminal account for bribery, abuse of power and misappropriation of state money and property.                 According to available data, since 2004 until now 485 workers of law-enforcement bodies have committed 374 crimes, while 4070 officers and servicemen of military structures have been involved in committing 4385 crimes.                  The figures should make leaders of law-enforcement bodies and military structures to reflect on decisive eradication of this shameful trend in their ranks.                   Defense Ministry, as well as other military bodies and structures should take additional steps to improve pedagogical work, ensure strict observation of military discipline, raise the professional level of servicemen and create appropriate conditions of living and service in military units and subdivisions.                   Another problem which in past years has been taking on global scale is the illegal circulation of narcotics. It not only threatens life and health of people, but is also one of financial sources for such new global challenges as terrorism and extremism.                   That is why law-enforcement bodies and military structures, first of all, the State Committee on National Security, the Main Administration of the Frontier Troops, Ministry of Interior, Drugs Control Agency and Customs Service must undertake all relevant measures to prevent illicit circulation of narcotics and crimes related to it.                  The above-mentioned structures must further strengthen their interaction in this field.                  Dear friends,                 In these complex and dynamically changing conditions of modern world one should always bear in mind that the responsibility of servicemen of law-enforcement bodies and military structures for guarding the interests of the state and the nation, further strengthening peace and social stability, ensuring rule of law and social order, reliable protection of the country's boundaries and struggle against all types of crime is constantly growing.                  Given the above tasks, paramount attention should be paid to reinforcing material and technical basis of all law-enforcement bodies and military structures on the grounds of effective and targeted use of all funding, as well as to improving pedagogical work among personnel, training cadres which meet all modern requirements and manning the above bodies and structures with high-skilled, educated, patriotically-minded specialists, faithful to the state and the nation.                  We are now passing through an extremely difficult period of the global financial and economic crisis, sharpening of regional conflicts and geopolitical rivalry, information wars and other processes which may pose threats for the very pillars of our statehood and national independence as well. You will be able to carry out your duty only in the case where all workers of law-enforcement bodies and servicemen of military structures deeply realize and understand the notions of Motherland and patriotism, as well as the great value of state independence, national identity and pride.                 That is why all servicemen of law-enforcement bodies, from top officers to rank-and-files, must be distinguished with professional competence, high level of mastership and knowledge, political vigilance and clear conscience. Only in this case they will be able, in view of present changeable conditions and sharpening of modern threats and challenges, to prevent all undesirable deeds and infringements on law, thus carrying out their professional duty connected with ensuring the security of the state, protection of independence, and reinforcing peace and stability of society.                                                                Translated by NIAT "Khovar"