Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 15 / Trend /
Barack Obama administration has requested U.S. Congress to authorize funds to the tune of $1,5 million to provide direct military assistance to Tajikistan in 2013, nearly double the amount authorized for 2012, according to the budget documents released by the administration in Washington, CA-News reported with reference to the Silk Road Newsline.
Submitted to the U.S. Congress on Monday under the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program run jointly by the U.S. Department of State and the Pentagon, the FY2013 request for Tajikistan is 87 percent higher than the amount of FMF funds authorized for Tajikistan in FT2012 when it amounted to $800,000.
According to the accompanying budget documents, the FY 2013 request for Foreign Military Financing (FMF) "furthers U.S. interests around the world by ensuring that Coalition partners and friendly foreign governments are equipped and trained to work toward common security goals and share burdens in joint missions."
"FMF promotes U.S. national security by contributing to regional and global stability, strengthening military support for democratically-elected governments, and containing transnational threats including terrorism and trafficking in narcotics, weapons, and persons," the administration said. "Increased military capabilities establish and strengthen multilateral coalitions with the United States, and enable friends and allies to be increasingly interoperable with U.S., regional, and international military forces."
Last year, the FMF request for Tajikistan was accompanied by a note saying that "assistance to the Tajikistan Ministry of Defense and the National Guard will continue to support more professional and capable ground forces. Reforms to the defense establishment will result in a force prepared to cooperate with United States and North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces in peacekeeping and other multilateral operations." It is expected the finding for the FY2013 is intended for the same purpose.
Edited by V. Zhavoronkova