“There is no doubt that producers of this film will never succeed in undermining the ancient and friendly ties between Iranian and Tajik nations. The claims are raised by sentenced confessors and quoted from people who are no longer alive, and thus cannot be of any validity,” reads a statement released on Wednesday by Iranian embassy in Dushanbe.
The statement came in reaction to a documentary aired by Tajikistan state television on Wednesday accusing Iran of involvement in Tajikistan's 1992-97 civil war.
In the documentary, three Tajiks confessed to a series of killings of politicians and other prominent figures inside Tajikistan and attacks on a Russian military base there, all between 1994 and 2000, saying they had been supporters of Abdulhalim Nazarzoda, a former deputy defense minister, and had received training in and financial support from Iran.
The statement continues, “Tajikistan will not forget Iran as one of the founders and main guarantors of the peace process in Tajikistan, and its constructive role in ending the country’s civil wars of the 90s by hosting the negotiations between the conflicting sides.”
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has been a pioneer in constructing infrastructure projects in Tajikistan such as ‘Esteqlal’ strategic tunnel, Ibn Sina Hospital, providing Red Crescent medical services to low-income or orphaned Tajik families by Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation, constructing sports centers, restoring historical sites, educating Tajik youth in universities, establishing and equipping tens of educational centers and hundreds of such measures, all indicating Iran’s support for cementing stability and preserving Tajikistan’s independence and sustainable security,” the statement adds.
“The airing of such biased films after the recent visit of Tajikistan’s minister of energy and water resources together with the Tajik head of the two countries’ joint commission on economic and cultural cooperation aimed at taking part in Iranian President’s inauguration ceremony indicates that certain circles in Tajikistan do not want to see the normalization and improvement of friendly ties between the two countries,” Iranian embassy stressed.
“The Iranian embassy in Dushanbe is of the opinion that such divisive measures are not in line with the two nations’ interests, and are carried out by people who cannot tolerate the friendly relations between Iran and Tajikistan, which share the same culture and language,” the statement concludes.
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