"We will allow the United States and other countries of the anti-terrorist coalition to use our air space. A French contingent is currently deployed at the Dushanbe airport," Nazarov said.
Rumsfeld said that during his meeting with the Tajik president, the sides did not review issues related to the declaration adopted in Astana during the latest summit of the Shanghai Organization for Cooperation.
The declaration asks the United States to determine the schedule for the withdrawal of its military bases in Central Asia. Rumsfeld said he had no intention to visit Uzbekistan, where a U.S. military base is still located, in order to discus the issue.
He also said his meeting with Rakhmonov focused on maintaining peace in Afghanistan and in Central Asia.
Central Asia has become safer and more stable recently and common interests of the United States and regional countries include not only the fight against terrorism, but also the prevention of drug trafficking and the proliferation of weaponry, Rumsfeld said.
