DUSHANBE, February 29, Asia-Plus — A delegation of Tajikistan’s Sughd province led by its governor Qohir Rasoulzoda has been on a five-day visit to China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) since February 27, Asia-Plus has learned at the Tajik Embassy in Beijing.
On February 27, the Sughd governor Qohir Rasoulzoda and XUAR People’s Government head Kuzhesi Makhsuti (phonetically spelled) signed a protocol of intentions on entering into twinning agreement in Urumqi.
Town twinning is a concept whereby cities in geographically and politically distinct areas are paired, with the goal of fostering human contact and cultural links. In Europe, such pairs of towns are known as twin towns, friendship towns or partner towns; in North America, India, Pakistan and Australia, the term sister cities is used for the same concept; and brother cities is the term in the former Soviet bloc. Sometimes, even larger areas enter into “twinning” agreements, such as that between the provinces of Hainan in China and Jeju in South Korea.
During its visit the Tajik delegation is scheduled to hold a number of talks with high-ranking XUAR officials, senior representatives from XUAR’s committees for foreign affairs and development and reforms, as well as public health, transportation and construction directorates.
The visit schedule also includes meetings with members of the XUAR legislature and visits to leading industrial companies, including TBEA, which now constructs power grids South-North and Lolazor-Khatlon in Tajikistan. Representatives from Sughd authorities will also get acquainted with principles of work of free economic zone (FEZ) in Urumqi.
