DUSHANBE, July 26, 2014, Asia-Plus -- Tajikistan’s Ministry of Transport (MoT), Open Joint-Stock Company (OJSC) Dushanbe International Airport (DIA), and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have signed a protocol of intent on construction of the freight terminal at the Dushanbe airport.

Under this document, the Government of Japan is expected to award a $20 million grant for implementation of this project.

According to DIA, the grant will also be spent for purchase of an instrument landing system (ILS) and a precision approach landing system (PALS).

“In August the project will be submitted for consideration to the Government of Japan and a grant agreement is expected to be signed in the second half of this year,” an official source DIA told Asia-Plus in an interview.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency is an independent governmental agency that coordinates official development assistance (ODA) for the government of Japan. It is chartered with assisting economic and social growth in developing countries, and the promotion of international cooperation.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) started providing technical assistance to Tajikistan in 1991, and Representative Office of JICA in Tajikistan was established in 2006.