Dushanbe, Tajikistan, May 23, SPA -- Russia on Monday began thefinal phase of handing over control of the Tajik-Afghanborder to Tajik border guards as part of a plan to fullywithdraw Russian border troops from the ex-Soviet republicby 2006. Russia has helped the impoverished Central Asian nationpatrol its border with Afghanistan since 1991. Russian border guards were first to cede control of 112kilometers (70 miles) of the 247 kilometers (148 miles) thetwo services still patrol jointly, the Russian borderguards' press service said. --SPA1527 Local Time 1227 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/264484