Overview
- India has formally ended its presence at the Ayni airbase near Dushanbe, according to people familiar with the matter.
- The bilateral arrangement with Tajikistan for development and joint operation of the facility expired about four years ago.
- Indian personnel and equipment were pulled out in 2022, with the rationale for a full wrap-up coming to light only recently.
- The base was India’s only overseas military facility, prompting Congress leader Jairam Ramesh to call the exit a setback for strategic diplomacy.
- India funded upgrades to the Soviet-era site and used it for periodic deployments, including evacuations from Afghanistan in 2021.