Tajikistan borders both the regional Central Asian power of Uzbekistan and the security hotspot of Afghanistan, making it a militarily strategic country for Russia. Russia thus maintains a significant military presence in the country, with several bases in the capital, Dushanbe, as well as in the southern part of the country. As Russia ramps up its troop presence in Tajikistan, the two countries are at odds over an agreement permitting all Russian military aircraft to use Tajik military airfields free of charge, with Tajikistan, the poorest country in the former Soviet Union, preferring to be paid for their use.
