Dushanbe, Tajikistan: Tajikistan and Afghanistan will run a $4.2 million project to control Afghan-Tajik border crossings to check possible movement of terrorists, reports Dispatch News Desk news agency.
The project is funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The lion share of the project is coming from JICA that will contribute $3.9 million.
According to details, around 160,000 people cross Tajikistan and Afghanistan border a month officially where no facilities are placed to check their identification and travel documents scientifically. Therefore these borders are prone areas for terrorists to enter Tajikistan and then to other part of Central Asia because passports are checked only manually and forged and fake passport holders can cross the border without any risk of arrest.
All border crossing between Tajikistan and Afghanistan will be modernized and equipped during this two and half year project that started on March 3, 2015.
According to official documents of this project, modernized border cross points will help a safer and better run border. The objective of the project is to create favorable conditions for effective management of Tajikistan and Afghanistan.
A new border crossing point will be established in Langar, in South East of Tajikistan while upgrading of five other border crossing points is also a part of this project along the component of training for Tajik border and customs officials..
While talking to media, Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojidin Aslov said that UNDP will work with Tajikistan’s foreign ministry that is the main department of border guards of the state committee on national security and local governments in the Khatlon and Gorno-Badakhshan autonomous regions of Tajikistan.
He said well managed Tajik-Afghan border is not only in the interests of Tajikistan, but also the entire CIS region.
UNDP and JICA launched the ‘Livelihood Improvement in Tajik-Afghan Cross-border Areas’ project in March 2014 to enhance livelihoods and business development through promotion of cross border cooperation between the Tajik and Afghan communities. The new border management project will give a boost to these existing efforts in the border communities.
Tajikistan and UNDP also signed the fourth phase of project to support to institutional development of the Tajik foreign ministry.
The project is aimed providing assistance for the young workers of the diplomatic services of Tajikistan.
