DUSHANBE, September 13, 2012, Asia-Plus -- Tajik customs officials say they are holding equipment from Iran that reportedly is meant for a joint Persian-language television project, Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service reports.

The Customs Service under the Government of Tajikistan says the equipment is at their depot in Dushanbe.

They say no duties are required if the gear is for use by the Iranian Embassy.  Otherwise, they say customs duties must be paid by Iran.

Earlier, the Iranian Embassy in Dushanbe said a $400,000 customs fee was set for the import of equipment costing $2.5 million.

The launch of the joint television channel has been postponed several times since the presidents of Afghanistan, Iran, and Tajikistan agreed on the project in 2006.

People in Iran, Tajikistan, and many parts of Afghanistan can understand each other because they all speak dialects of Persian.