DUSHANBE, August 7, 2009, Asia-Plus — Today, Tajik Finance Minister Safarali Najmiddinov and the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Country Director for Tajikistan Makoto Ojiro signed a grant agreement for 20 million U.S. dollars.
Speaking to reporters after the agreement-signing ceremony, Tajik minister noted that the amount of that grant was allocated for co-financing the Dushanbe-Kyrgyz Border Road Rehabilitation Project.
The funds will go to financing rehabilitation of a section of the road from Obigarm to Nourobod, bypass road at the section from 110th to 112th kilometer, as well as rehabilitation of the central section from Nourobod to Nimich. The grant will help to upgrade 127 kilometers of the project corridor and 7 kilometers of bypass roads, the minister noted.
We will recall that ADB”s Board of Directors approved a $20 million grant to supplement the Dushanbe-Kyrgyz Border Road Rehabilitation Project last week. The project is rehabilitating the highway which forms part of the Transport Corridor III that connects Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan.
The project aims to reduce transport costs, foster regional trade and cooperation, and improve access to markets and social services for local population.
Over the past years, ADB has provided support of over $98 million in loans and grants to rehabilitate the Dushanbe-Kyrgyz border road.
