Tajikistan says NATO to stay until Afghanistan stable

DUSHANBE, January 19 (RIA Novosti) - Tajikistan's Foreign Ministry said Friday that NATO's contingent will stay in the ex-Soviet Central Asian country until stability is restored to neighboring Afghanistan.

Tajikistan hosts about 200 French troops and several aircraft that back NATO-led operations in Afghanistan.

Addressing a news conference, First Deputy Foreign Minister Saimumin Yatimov said: "We have no treaty on the NATO contingent's presence at the airport of [the capital] Dushanbe, and the length of their deployment will depend on the stabilization of the situation in Afghanistan."

"We are part of the Anti-Terrorism Coalition, and stability in Afghanistan is in our country's best interest," he added.

Speaking of the Aini military airfield, 20 kilometers (12 miles) west of Dushanbe, Yatimov confirmed media reports that the site is currently being renovated in cooperation with India, but said its status is not yet a settled issue and will be determined some time in the future, "with Tajikistan's national and international interests in mind."

According to the media, Tajikistan is planning to use the facility jointly with India and Russia.