DUSHANBE, March 2, 2010, Asia-Plus -- Dushanbe authorities are making preparations for a Capital City Day, which is marked in Tajikistan on the third Saturday of April.

A meeting of the Dushanbe mayor’s office to review the results of annual contests to determine best specialists in different professions has taken place today.

This year, Tajikistan will mark the Capital City Day on April 17 and an international race dedicated to this event will be held this year.  “Representatives of 14 cities across the world, which are Dushanbe sister cities, and several Russian cities have been invited to participate in the race,” the source said.

The Dushanbe sister cities are Lusaka, Zambia (1966);  Sana''a, Yemen (June 25, 1967); Monastir, Tunisia (November 24, 1967); Klagenfurt,  Austria (1972); Lahore, Pakistan (September 15, 1976);  Boulder, USA (May 8, 1987); Mazar-i Sahrif, Afghanistan (July 13, 1991); Reutlingen, Germany (October 5, 1991); St. Petersburg, Russia (October 6, 1991); Shiraz, Iran (February 16, 1992); Minsk, Belarus (July 21, 1998); Urumqi, China (September 10, 1999); Tehran, Iran (March 12, 2001); and Ankara, Turkey (December 11, 2003)