Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Alibek Kuantyrov held a meeting in Astana on August 8 with Chairman of the State Committee on Investment and State Property Management of Tajikistan Sulton Rahimzoda. The meeting took place as part of the 19th session of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation between Kazakhstan and
The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors on August 7 approved the First Competitive and Inclusive Tajikistan Development Policy Operation (DPO) to support the country’s reform programs aimed at further opening the economy to competition, creating favorable market conditions for private sector development, and strengthening the public sector for better service delivery. The DPO is a $50 million
In July 2025, the Almosi Valley in the foothills of Hissar in Tajikistan made history: the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) officially recognized it as part of the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) network. This marks the first GIAHS designation among all countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States. We
Tajikistan’s real gross domestic product (GDP) growth reached 8.4 percent in 2024 and 8.2 percent in the first quarter of 2025 with services and industry driving the expansion, according to the World Bank’s annual Tajikistan Economic Update released on July 30. Domestic demand was bolstered by substantial remittance inflows, which totaled approximately 49 percent of GDP in
From 2025 to 2030, 15 million Tajik somoni will be allocated annually for 200 grants of the President of Tajikistan to support and develop women’s entrepreneurship. The grants are aimed at creating conditions for the exercise of women’s rights and economic opportunities, ensuring their equal participation in public life, increasing women’s competitiveness in the labor
From 1 to 18 July, the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe organized the first-ever Summer School of Journalism for 20 aspiring journalism students and young media professionals from across Tajikistan. The three-week intensive training aimed to strengthen their foundational reporting skills and prepare the next generation of journalists for a rapidly evolving media environment. Participants
In recent years, Central Asia has experienced not merely a surge of interest in music, but a cultural renaissance in which music itself becomes a pivotal element in educational reform, social transformation, and soft power projection. At the heart of this process lies not only the revival of genres once confined to folklore, but also
The President of Mongolia, Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, arrived on a state visit to Tajikistan. On July 24, the President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon welcomed the President of Mongolia and the official delegation of this country and expressed confidence that today’s fruitful exchange of views will give a positive impetus to the process of strengthening and expanding
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), in close partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and with the financial support of the European Union (EU), hosted a regional coordination meeting of Aarhus Centres and key stakeholders from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan on 17–18 July in Khujand, Tajikistan. As part of the
The European Union and Tajikistan on July 18 initialed an Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA), marking a significant step forward in deepening bilateral relations and strengthening long-term cooperation, the Delegation of the European Union to Tajikistan reported. The EPCA represents a modern and ambitious framework for EU–Tajikistan relations, reflecting shared values and interests in areas
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Executive Body of the State Authority of the City of Dushanbe have officially launched a new regional project aimed at making Dushanbe safer, greener, and more resilient to climate and disaster risks, UNDP Tajikistan reported. The ‘Enhancing Urban Resilience to Disaster Risk and Climate Change in Central
On July 11, the EU and the countries of Central Asia — Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan — held the 12th meeting of the annual High-Level Political and Security Dialogue, in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. The Dialogue took place in the context of increased engagement between Central Asia and the European Union, following up
The Almosi Valley, an integrated mountain agropastoral system in Tajikistan, has become the first Central Asian addition to the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The system was formally designated under FAO’s flagship program during a meeting of the GIAHS Scientific Advisory Group held from
On July 8, Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov arrived in Tajikistan on a state visit. In Dushanbe, Japarov met with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon to discuss issues of cooperation between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, including the expansion of cooperation in the political, trade and economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres. The heads of states expressed satisfaction with the
In a major advancement for energy connectivity and resilience in Tajikistan’s Badakhshan Mountainous Autonomous Region (GBAO), the Government of Tajikistan late in June inaugurated and broke ground on critical power infrastructure that will bring the country closer to finalizing the regional electricity grid, the Delegation of the European Union to Tajikistan reported. The high-level ceremony,
Chinese President Xi Jinping on June 17 called on China and Central Asian countries to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and forge ahead toward the goal of building a China-Central Asia community with a shared future, Xinhua reported. Xi made the remarks in his keynote speech at the second China-Central Asia Summit in Astana
The World Bank says it has approved additional financing from the International Development Association (IDA) to benefit local communities, including youth, women, and vulnerable groups, in the Districts of Republican Subordination, Khatlon region, and Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO) of Tajikistan. The $25 million grant will extend the Tajikistan Socio-Economic Resilience Strengthening Project (SERSP), which uses
The high-level meeting on June 8 in the city of Nice, France to launch the International Decade for Action on Cryospheric Sciences, 2025-2034, was opened by Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon, as the head of a leading country in promoting the issues of water, climate and glaciers’ preservation. In his speech, Rahmon stated that Tajikistan is
The 4th Ministerial Meeting of the Central Asia–India Dialogue was held in New Delhi on June 6. The meeting focused on main areas of partnership between the Central Asian countries and India, covering such fields as transport and logistics, regional cooperation, counter-terrorism, and the development of advanced technologies. The foreign ministers adopted a Joint Statement
by Shoira Toirova In this interview, we sit down with Ozan Sevimli, former Country Manager of the World Bank Group in Tajikistan, whose time in the country left a lasting imprint on both his career and soul. He led the World Bank’s efforts during a globally transformative period — navigating the aftermath of the COVID-19
