Russia,Tajikistan likely to sign border accord shortly.

MOSCOW, June 22 (Itar-Tass) - Russia and Tajikistan have already
prepared for signature an agreement "which is to regulate a bilateral
format of cooperation on border-related matters". It is not ruled out that
the document will be signed shortly, a source at Tajikistan's Foreign
Ministry announced.
The source told Nezavisimaya Gazeta that Russian advisers would
continue, as before, to give assistance in consulting and training of
junior officer personnel from among Tajik servicemen.
"The question of a full-scale return of Russian border guards to the
Tajik-Afghan border has not been considered, for Tajikistan copes with
this task on its own so far," the Foreign Ministry source emphasized.
The source did not rule it out that "The border issue will be
discussed during a meeting betweem a NATO representative and the
leadership of the republic", linking the issue with the tense military and
political situation in Afghanistan and in its northern provinces that
border on Tajikistan.
At the same time the source assured that a two-day visit, beginning
Wednesday, by James Appathurai, NATO Secretary-General's special
representatives for South Caucasus and Central Asia, "by chance coincided
with the commencement of a third round of Russo-Tajik consultations on the
border (issues)".