Emomali Rahmon called on Putin not to treat small republics as was the case in the USSR.
President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon criticized the Russian authorities' approach to strategic partners, small republics.
According to the president, there was no attention to small republics and peoples either in the USSR or now. For 30 years, the Russian authorities have not seen Tajikistan.
“Now, for some reason, at some unfortunate forum in Tajikistan, we are begging you to be present at least at the level of ministers. No. At the level of deputy ministers. Tajikistan has deserved it, a strategic partner. We have 2.5 million schoolchildren studying Russian. But we have been made to be a small nation. Yes, we are not 100-200 million. But we have a history that we love. We want to be respected. We are not beggars .We have a rich country. The reserves of mineral resources are more than Mendeleev's system. The metallurgical industry, non-ferrous metallurgy, precious metals and even strategic raw materials for war, which do not exist in the world. In terms of reserves, Tajikistan ranks 1st. No one is interested. We have always respected our the main strategic partner, but we want us to be respected on a par with African countries,” said the president of Tajikistan at the “Central Asia – Russia” summit.
He added that 2 million citizens of Tajikistan go to Russia and through Russia to from other countries – they study, are treated.
“I appeal to you so that there is no policy towards Central Asia like in the former Soviet Union. Each country has its own problems, questions, traditions and customs. We need to find a middle ground and work with each republic separately,” Rahmon added.
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