TAJIKISTAN: ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK FINANCED ROAD

UNCLAS DUSHANBE 000998 SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN (DONNELLY),INL/AAE (BUHLER),DEFENSE FOR KLUG E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR PGOV PREL CH KG TI SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN: ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK FINANCED ROAD CONSTRUCTION CREATES BORDER CROSSING OPPORTUNITIES REF: Dushanbe 875 ¶1. Summary: Ministry of Transportation and Asian Development Bank officials agree that the re-built A-372 road in the north-central Vaksh/Surkhob/Kizilsu valley between Dushanbe and the Karamik border crossing with Kyrgyzstan will attract freight haulers currently using the trans-Pamir route from China through Murghab. The projected freight redirection provides rationale for international donors to allocate funds for limited scale border crossing improvements. Tajik transportation officials assert that freight traffic could begin using A-372 as early as next year, although the ADB is not so confident, claiming that it will not be viable as a heavy truck route until construction completion in 2013. With a modest $2.5 million budget, in the coming years ADB plans to construct six Tajik customs posts and renovate ten more around the country. The construction of customs facilities presents an opportunity for ADB to team up with ongoing INL, OSCE, and EU border security programs. End summary. Building, Building, Building into the Future -------------- ¶2. Following a June familiarization trip to the Pamir region border sites (reftel) Emboffs, OSCE's border advisor, and the chief technical advisor for the European Union's Border Management Central Asia project met with the Ministry of Transportation's road building executive director Nizom Hakimov, Chief Engineer Yuri Yuldashev, and ADB project specialist Ruslan Sadykov to collect data necessary to properly allocate border and customs assistance requested for the Murghab area of Gorno-Bakakhshan. The officials told us that the firm "Chinese Road" is building the ADB-financed A-372 road from Tajikistan to China through Kyrgyzstan with an expected completion date of 2013. Kulma-Murghab - A Road to be Less Traveled? -------------- ¶3. Hakimov and Yuldashev claimed that Chinese trucks could begin using the more direct A-372 route from Kashgar to Dushanbe in 2009 and save two days travel time, reduce the distance by 479 kilometers, and eliminate the transfer of cargo at Khorog. When we met separately with Sadykov he disagreed, maintaining that the last 121-kilometer segment of A-372 would be impassable for large Chinese trucks until 2013. Ministry of Transportation and ADB officials concurred, however, that when completed A-372 will carry about 80 percent of China-Tajikistan trade and 70 percent of China-Afghanistan trade. ¶4. What is most important for border security and customs improvement programs for international donors, Sadykov reconfirmed the ADB's 2005 estimate that the trade volume through Kulma to Khorog is likely to decrease dramatically once A-372 via Karamik is fully operational. International donors immediately recognized that the reduced freight transit estimate significantly undercuts Customs Service requests for substantial assistance to upgrade Kulma and Kizilart border crossing points. ADB Plans Customs Upgrades -------------- ¶5. Sadykov stated that ADB has $2.5 million to support rehabilitation and new construction for custom facilities in 16 border crossing points. He said the plans were to build six new border customs facilities and to renovate 10 others. He acknowledged that the funding was insufficient to make a significant Qacknowledged that the funding was insufficient to make a significant impact and the number of posts would have to be reduced. He agreed to closely coordinate with international donors on the ADB's plans to improve customs facilities. ¶6. Comment: Before making firm funding allocations, INL officer plans to assess highway A-372 and the Karamik crossing in September, but initial analysis suggests that international donors should cast a careful eye on large requests for assistance to the Customs Service in the Murghab area. The Border Guards' request for assistance is more warranted given the reputation of the Pamir Highway as a corridor for transit of drugs, arms and illegal immigration and migration but the funding level will be carefully calibrated. End comment. JACOBSON