The Government of Tajikistan is building a kindergarten at Rishton town in Ferghana region of Uzbekistan, according to Daryo.uz.
The kindergarten is expected to accommodate 200 children and a total cost of the project is 420,000 U.S. dollars.
The kindergarten will be commissioned in September next year, Dilshodzhon Khozhimetov, an official with Ferghana regional administration, told Daryo.uz.
Rishton is a town (estimated population is 22,580) in Fergana region, in Uzbekistan, about halfway between Kokand and Fergana. Rishton is one of the most famous and oldest centers of ceramics in Uzbekistan. Legend claims that the art is over 800 years old, passed down from generation to generation. Today, over 2000 craftsmen use both traditional techniques and modern machinery to produce over 5 million items per year. The traditional design has a blue-green glaze, called “iskor”. In the 1960s, this technique had almost died out, but has now recovered, thanks to the efforts of the artisans themselves.
The majority residents of Rishton are ethnic Tajiks. Main languages spoken in this area are Tajik and Uzbek.
Recall, during a state visit of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Tajikistan a government-to-government agreement was signed, under which Uzbekistan will build a school and a hospital in Tajikistan, while Tajikistan will build a kindergarten in Rishton and a school in Samarqand.
Signs of a thaw in relations between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan emerged in September 2016. In the years since independence, bilateral relations have been plagued by mistrust, disputes over water resources and outright hostility. Both sides have adopted a series of punitive measures against each other. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has expressed interest in “resetting” relations with Tajikistan.
