DUSHANBE, October 31, 2011, Asia-Plus — President Emomali Rahmon and His Highness the Aga Khan, founder and Chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) and Imam (spiritual leader) of the Ismaili Muslims, today visited Shouroobod district in Khatlon province, where they will lay the foundation stone for the fifth bridge to connect Tajikistan and Afghanistan within the framework of regional initiatives of AKDN, together Abdul Qudus Hamidi, Minister of Public Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
According to AKDN Tajikistan, the Shouroobod bridge, which will connect Shouroobod district of Khatlon province and Khohon province of Afghanistan, is 162 meters long and 3.5 meters wide and has a load capacity of up to 30 metric tons. The project will be implemented by the Aga Khan Foundation with financial support of German Government through its agency KfW.
The bridge will serve as key conduits for humanitarian assistance, commerce and socio-cultural exchange opportunities.
We will recall that the Vanj bridge, the fourth in a series of bridges funded by the Aga Khan Development Network, was inaugurated on August 16. The bridge connects Tajikistan’s Vanj district with Mohi-May vulusvoli in Afghanistan and is expected to enhance cross-border humanitarian assistance delivery, infrastructure development, socio-economic exchange, tourism and trade between the two countries.
In recent years, AKDN Tajikistan has extended its programmatic presence to include cross-border initiatives that aim to bring the neighboring Badakhshan-Badakhshan regions of Tajikistan and Afghanistan closer after decades of separation and isolation. The cross-border strategy engages many AKDN agencies and external partners across several sectors and is the product of collaboration between the AKDN and the Governments of Tajikistan and Afghanistan.
On November 1, President Rahmon and His Highness the Aga Khan will officially inaugurate the Dushanbe Serena Hotel. An embodiment of Tajik culture and heritage, the 5-star Dushanbe Serena Hotel with 95 rooms and apartments provides a variety of food and beverage outlets, meeting and conference rooms and other ancillary facilities. The hotel is located in the heart of the country’s capital Dushanbe, on Roudaki Avenue and only a ten minute drive from the Dushanbe International Airport.
His Highness the Aga Khan arrived in Dushanbe Sunday night on a three-day visit.
