CA-NEWS (TJ) - The United States do not plan to establish any bases in Tajikistan, said the U.S. Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia Robert Blake on Wednesday after the meeting with President Emomalii Rahmon.

"We have no plans to build any bases here in Tajikistan," said Blake.

The U.S. have the "very good cooperation with the Government of Tajikistan in strengthening the border security of the Republic and the fight against drugs in order to stop the flow of drugs from Afghanistan via Tajikistan to other countries in Central Asia, Russia and beyond." "This issue is the focus of our government," said Blake.

He noted that the U.S. in Tajikistan implements "a very large aid program that includes numerous components in all areas." The volume of our assistance this year increased by 10%," said Blake.

State Department spokesman stressed that the United States appreciate the partnership with Tajikistan and want to work with the government to "help it to build a safe, free and prosperous future for the people."

"We have created a mechanism of annual bilateral consultations to enhance the U.S. commitment in respect of Tajikistan. We are committed to the advancement of all high-priority problems in bilateral relations - from security cooperation to improvement of the economic situation in Tajikistan and the issues of democratization and human rights," said Blake.

He added that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton awaits the arrival of the President of Tajikistan in New York to attend the meeting of the UN General Assembly.