6 months ago
2
The Congress connected Saturday described India’s withdrawal from the Ayni airbase successful Tajikistan arsenic “yet different setback” to the country’s strategical diplomacy, calling it a stroke to New Delhi’s determination influence.
In a station connected X, Congress wide caput (communications) Jairam Ramesh said India had acceptable up the Ayni airbase successful the aboriginal 2000s and expanded its infrastructure substantially implicit the years. “Given its bonzer location, India had large plans for expanding its beingness astatine Ayni,” helium said.
Mr. Ramesh noted that India was asked 4 years agone to standard down its beingness and has present afloat withdrawn. “It appears that India has yet unopen down the basal which was its lone overseas subject facility. This is, without doubt, yet different setback for our strategical diplomacy,” helium remarked.
He besides noted that the Ayni base, located astir 10 km from Dushanbe, is adjacent a depository that houses the 1,500-year-old Buddha of Nirvana — “one of the astir singular exhibits” of the region.
Agreement lapsed
India’s beingness astatine the Soviet-era Ayni basal ended pursuing the expiry of a bilateral statement with Tajikistan, officials said. The pact, signed for the improvement and associated cognition of the base, lapsed astir 4 years ago.
India had upgraded the basal by strengthening its runway, substance depots, and aerial postulation power systems, and had astatine 1 signifier deployed Su-30 MKI combatant jets and helicopters there. The installation was past utilized successful 2021 to evacuate Indian nationals from Afghanistan aft the Taliban’s takeover.
The closure marks the extremity of India’s lone overseas subject outpost — erstwhile seen arsenic a cardinal node successful its Central Asian strategy.
(With PTI inputs)
