DUSHANBE, February 24, 2012, Asia-Plus — Tajik Prime Minister Oqil Oqilov met with the French Ambassador to Tajikistan Henry Zipper de Fabiani and senior representatives of the French companies of SOFEMA and VINCI in Dushanbe on February 24, the Prime Minister Secretariat reports.
The source says Tajikistan has stopped cooperation with SOFEMA on construction of a new terminal at Dushanbe International Airport and VINCI will continue construction of the terminal.
In the course of the talks, the Tajik prime minister reportedly noted that delays in implementation of the project had led to increase in its cost.
The sides noted that the issue of additional financing of the project would be solved in the near future, the source said.
Meanwhile, senior representatives of Sofema and Vinci met with International Dushanbe Airport director general Rustam Kholiqov on February 23. International Dushanbe Airport has refrained from giving details of the meeting.
We will recall that the project for construction of an international terminal at the Dushanbe airport is being implemented under financial support of France. France has provided Tajikistan a long-term, low interest 20 million euro loan to fund the 27 million euro construction of the terminal; the remaining 7 million euros are provided by Dushanbe International Airport.
In the meantime, Dushanbe International Airport director general Rustam Kholiqov told reporters on April 22, 2011 that French corporations building an international terminal at the airport in Dushanbe – Alpha Airport and SOFEMA Group — say additional €9.5 million are needed for the project as prices of equipment for the future terminal have risen.
The overall space of the international terminal at the Dushanbe airport is expected to be 11,000 square meters and it will able to receive more than 5,000 passengers per hour. Specialists say the project will bring the Dushanbe airport up to international air traffic standards.
