Emomali Sobirzoda

Emomali Sobirzoda is the Minister of Defence of Tajikistan, having served as the Chief of the General Staff from November 2015 to January 2025. He has recently overseen the development of military relations between Tajikistan, Russia, the United States and Uzbekistan.

Biography

Sobirzoda was born on July 20, 1972, in the city of Vahdat to a family of labor workers. He commenced his military career in 1992, immediately serving in military units that were deployed during the Tajikistani Civil War. He graduated from the Military Institute of the Ministry of Defence of Tajikistan, and from Kulob State University in the mid-1990s before moving to Russia where he would stay from 1999 to 2001. In February 2010, he was appointed to the position of Commander of the Tajik Ground Forces. He served in this position for 5 years until November 24, 2015, when by of President Emomali Rahmon and the approval of the government, Sobirzoda was made Chief of the General Staff, succeeding Major General Zarif Bobokalonov. On January 2025 he was appointed Minister of Defense.