DUSHANBE, October 31, Asia-Plus - President Emomali Rahmonov and His Highness the Aga Khan, Imam (spiritual leader) of the Shia Ismaili Muslims and Founder of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), today morning left for Gorno Badakhshan to inaugurate a bridge across the Panj River in the Ishkashim district.

Reconstruction of this 99.3-meter long bridge having 4.5 meters wide that started in the autumn last year increased the bridge carrying capacity from 10 tons to 30 tons.   

According to the Ministry of Transport (MoT), this US$350,100 project, undertaken by the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) in cooperation with the governments of Tajikistan and Afghanistan will strengthen commercial links and relations between Tajikistan and Afghanistan. 

It is the third of a series of bridges across the Panj River in Gorno Badakhshan that will consolidate permanent overland links between Tajikistan and Afghanistan.  The first bridge connecting Tem in Tajikistan and Demorgan in Afghanistan was opened in November 2002.  The second Tajik-Afghan bridge was constructed and opened in the Darvoz district in July 2004.