One more bridge will connect Tajikistan and Afghanistan. A new bridge across the Panj River that will consolidate permanent overland links between Tajikistan and Afghanistan will be built in the Tajik southern Khatlon province.
A source in the Tajik government says the bridge will connect the Kokul area in Khatlon’s Farkhor district and the Ai-Khanoum village in Takhar province, northern Afghanistan.
According to him, the construction of a 180-meter bridge will start next year and will be completed in four years.
“The European Union (EU) is expected to provide a grant of EUR 16 million. The project also includes rehabilitation of an 18-kilometer road in Farkhor district,” the source added.
Meanwhile, TOLONews reports that a joint socio-economic development project between the EU and the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) was launched in Kabul on June 24.
Officials from the EU and the AKDN said on Sunday that they will spend over $16 million to promote border trade and expand economic ties along the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border.
According to them, this will be part of the Supporting Cooperation and Opportunities for Regional Economic Development (SCORED) program.
SCORED, launched on Sunday in Kabul, is a long term social and economic development project for Afghanistan and Tajikistan and will depend on ensuring stability along the 1,300km-long shared border.
According to project organizers, this stability requires collaboration and strong cooperation in economic, financial, social and cultural spheres – that can “create the condition for equitable growth and integration.”
The project will also provide a solid foundation for encouraging longer-term cross-border exchange and cooperation, and is intended to begin the process of unlocking the local economic potential of this area.
SCORED, on both sides of the border, will be funded by the European Union, the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), and Germany’s KFW Development Bank.
Part of this money will be spent on the construction of a sixth bridge across the Panj River that will connect the two countries.
To-date, five bridges across the Panj River connecting Tajikistan and Afghanistan have been built under support of the Aga Khan Development Network. They have improved commerce and traffic within Central Asia.
