To provide security along Tajikistan’s common border with Afghanistan, the United States and the Russian Federation will finance construction of frontier posts along this border. This is taking place against the backcloth of a statement by a highly controversial leader of the Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin political party, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, who has accused Tajikistan of granting asylum to the Afghan opposition.
Speaking at a press conference in Dushanbe, U.S. Ambassador to Tajikistan, Mr. John Mark Pommersheim, stated on May 10 that the United States will construct a frontier post along the Tajik-Afghan border as well as border detachment facility for 900 servicemen and members of their families.
According to him, the estimated budget for construction of the frontier post in the Chaldovar area is 3 million U.S. dollars and construction of the border unit will cost 30 million U.S. dollars.
U.S. diplomat also noted that the United States also plans to renovate seven frontier posts in Tajikistan.
“The construction of the frontier post and the border detachment facility will start in the near future. It is one of the United States’ largest grants to Tajikistan,” the U.S. diplomat noted.
Ambassador Pommersheim also noted that the United States will supply reconnaissance drone “Puma” to the Tajik border troops.
He further noted that details of a US$20 million agreement are currently being agreed by the parties.
Meanwhile, Tajik parliament yesterday approved an agreement with Russia on providing US$1.1 million to Tajikistan for construction of a frontier post along the Tajik border.
