DUSAHNBE, October 26, Asia-Plus — The Government of Tajikistan has prepared another draft agreement on restoration of aerial communication with Uzbekistan, Tajik Deputy Transport and Communications Minister, Joumakhon Zuhurov, remarked at a news conference in Dushanbe Thursday.
According to him, this problem was discussed at a summit of the Eurasian Economic Community (EAEC) that was held in Dushanbe in early October .
The deputy minister reminded that aerial communication between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan has been suspended since May 15, 1992, when Uzbek authorities broke all air contacts with Tajikistan, “pleading unstable situation in Tajikistan.”
Zuhurov added that in 2000, Tajik national air carrier operated test flight to Tashkent, “which has remained the only flight on the air route from Dushanbe to Tashkent over the past fifteen years.”
“We want to reopen regular flights between out countries, prepared draft agreement and sent it for consideration to Tashkent,” said the deputy minister, “In its replay to our proposal, which we received in four months, official Tashkent made numerous terms for reopening regular flight. We have prepared another draft agreement, in which we pledged ourselves to fulfill those terms; however, we have not yet received reply to our letter.”
He further added that disagreements between the two countries on this subject “are apparently politically motivated.”
