DUSHANBE -- Russian State Duma speaker Sergei Naryshkin has called on Tajikistan to "become part of the Eurasian integration process."
Talking to students and teachers of the Russian-Tajik University in Dushanbe on October 7, Naryshkin also promised that Tajik citizens will be eligible to obtain three-year work permits in Russia, instead of the current one-year permits.
Naryshkin, who is on a one-day official visit to Tajikistan, was scheduled to meet with President Emomali Rahmon and other Tajik officials before leaving for neighboring Kyrgyzstan.
The Russian Embassy in Bishkek told RFE/RL that Naryshkin will hold talks with President Almazbek Atambaev and visit the Russian-Kyrgyz University in Bishkek on October 8.
Moscow has been pushing Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and other former Soviet republics to join a Russian-led Customs Union, which currently comprises Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus.
Talking to students and teachers of the Russian-Tajik University in Dushanbe on October 7, Naryshkin also promised that Tajik citizens will be eligible to obtain three-year work permits in Russia, instead of the current one-year permits.
Naryshkin, who is on a one-day official visit to Tajikistan, was scheduled to meet with President Emomali Rahmon and other Tajik officials before leaving for neighboring Kyrgyzstan.
The Russian Embassy in Bishkek told RFE/RL that Naryshkin will hold talks with President Almazbek Atambaev and visit the Russian-Kyrgyz University in Bishkek on October 8.
Moscow has been pushing Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and other former Soviet republics to join a Russian-led Customs Union, which currently comprises Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus.
