An unfortunate but inevitable consequence of the civil war was the increased militarization of the country. Military expenditures were forced to increase at precisely the time funds were desperately needed to maintain health, education and social services. Weapons of war proliferated among the civilian population. On the other hand, events may have conspired to propel the Republic of Tajikistan more rapidly into the international arena than might otherwise have been the case. The country's participation in a considerable number and variety of international agreements and organizations, its commitment to regional and international cooperation and problem-solving, and its firm resolve to build an integrated, democratic society, based on the rule of law and in conformity with international standards of human rights, have all been strengthened by the ordeal of civil war.
Political pluralism is another of the principles to which the new nation is committed.
The civil war, however, left the possibility and viability of such pluralism in doubt among many. The Protocol called for the rapid conclusion of a general agreement on the establishment of peace and national reconciliation based, in part, on the settlement of differences only by peaceful means, deepening the process of democratization and an acceptance of political pluralism. The failure of the Protocol to produce any practical results, however, coupled with renewed fighting in early 1996, further strengthens doubts that reconciliation will be achieved soon. The presence of an entrenched, armed and militant opposition in the heart of the country in the Karategin valley has further served to isolate a significant population from the rest of the country, geographically, economically and politically. The impressive political developments since 1993, including particularly the creation and adoption of a constitution and the election of a President and a national assembly, have taken place without the participation of major parties to the conflict.