DUSHANBE, June 30, 2011, Asia-Plus — On June 29, 2011, U.S. Ambassador to Tajikistan Ken Gross, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) William Brownfield, and Deputy Chief of Tajikistan”s Border Guard Forces Major-General Safarali Nazirov, traveled to southern Tajikistan to visit a barracks facility at the Border Guard Detachment in Shouroobod and to participate in the opening ceremony of the reconstructed Border Outpost Yakhchi-Pun, the U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe said.
These INL-funded projects will improve the living conditions of Tajik border guards who fight on the front lines to reduce the flow of illegal narcotics and enhance the overall security of Tajikistan”s border with Afghanistan.
The U.S. Embassy”s Office of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) spent more than $1 million on the Shouroobod Border Guard Detachment and $600,000 on the Yakhchi Pun Border Outpost. Reconstruction of the Shouroobod Detachment was carried out by Tajikistan”s BSK-Asia Construction Company. The Yakhchi Pun Border Outpost project was built by the LLC Compleks construction company, and administered by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The new building in Shouroobod was an emergency project requested by the Tajik border guards after the previous barracks had been damaged by floods last summer. Shouroobod is unique for being the first border facility in Tajikistan to use a radiant floor heating system. The new facility at Yakhchi Pun includes a miniature hydroelectric power station and two boilers to ensure adequate heating during the winter.
As part of its cooperation with the Government of Tajikistan, INL has funded the rehabilitation of several other border posts in the Shouroobod District, including Khirmanjo, Shogun, Bogh, Bahorak, Yol, and Sari Ghor. UNODC has been INL’s implementing partner on several of the projects. The Asian Development Bank is INL’s implementing partner on two other projects in the Gorno Badakhshan region at Kulma and Kizil-Art. These projects represent INL’s green energy initiative, using solar panels and wind turbines for heating and electricity. INL hopes to finish these Border Crossing Point facilities in October. INL will continue to assist the Tajik Border guards with new facilities, equipment, and training, in connection with implementation of the Government of Tajikistan’s National Border Management Strategy.
The United States Government is committed to continuing its support and assistance to the Tajik law enforcement community. Since 1992, the U.S. Government has provided more than $984 million in assistance programs which enhance law enforcement and security systems, economic growth, democratic institutions, health care, and education in Tajikistan.
