DUSHANBE, July 11, 2009, Asia-Plus — A statement by supporters of the former head of Tajik Air (Tajik national air carrier) Hokimsho Tilloyev, posted on the Asia-Plus website on June 30 this year, that the French Air Force contingent deployed at the Dushanbe airport provided a large amount for rehabilitation of the runway and improvement of the territory of the Dushanbe airport allegedly on his initiative and with support of the government does not correspondent to the facts, Colonel Stephan Samaran, Defense Attaché at the French Embassy in Dushanbe, said in an interview with Asia-Plus on July 10.
According to him, the statement that before appointment of Mr. Tilloyev to the post of director general of Tajik Air the French Air Force contingent had allegedly been deployed at the Dushanbe airport free of charge for several years also does not correspondent to the facts. French army engineers began resurfacing the runway at the Dushanbe airport in 2004-2005 already, i.e. before appointment of Tilloyev, in exchange for free deployment of the French Air Force contingent at the airport, Col Samaran said.
We will recall that in addition to resurfacing the runway and other areas of the Dushanbe airport, France has provided Tajikistan a long-term, low interest 20 million euro loan to fund the 27 million euro construction of a new terminal, which is expected to be operational by September 9, 2011, the day marking the 20th anniversary of Tajikistan’s independence. Specialists say the project will bring the Dushanbe airport up to international air traffic standards.
