Tajikistan Closes Borders Ahead of Shanghai Bloc Summit

Excerpt from report by Russian state news agency ITAR-TASS

Dushanbe, 24 August: As of today, Tajikistan closed its borders with the neighbouring countries, including Afghanistan, the head of the border troops of the State Committee on National Security of Tajikistan, Sherali Mirzo, has told ITAR-TASS.

“The closure of borders as a preventive measures is due to the need to ensure security of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization [SCO] summit to be held on 28 August,” Sherali Mirzo stressed.

Besides closing border check points and traditional border trade points, the border troops took measures to strengthen the border with Afghanistan, in particular, by installing additional posts at complicated mountainous areas of the “Panj border line” [the River Panj divides Tajikistan and Afghanistan].

[Passage omitted: Tajik police have also been put on alert ahead of the SCO summit - covered]

Originally published by ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow, in Russian 0955 24 Aug 08.

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