DUSHANBE, September 13, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- On September 12, an international delegation led by U.S. Embassy Charge d''Affaires Necia Quast, with the Chief of Staff for Tajikistan''s Border Guard Forces Major General Sharaf Fayzulloyev, Head of Construction Major Mirov, Deputy Head of the International Department Captain Zarif Hakimov, and the Central Asia Regional Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime James Callahan, traveled to remote southern Tajikistan to dedicate the opening of the reconstructed border post facility at Sari Gor, press release issued by the US Embassy in Dushanbe said.

This international cooperative project, one in a series, will help the Tajik border guards interdict the flow of illegal narcotics and enhance the overall security of Tajikistan''s border with Afghanistan.

During the dedication ceremony, Charge Quast laid flowers at the memorial to the 25 Tajik border guards who were killed in 1993 by militants who stormed the border during Tajikistan''s civil war. She expressed support for and confidence in the Border Guards, since "They are the first line defense for Tajikistan."

The U.S. Embassy''s Office of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) provided $425,000 in funding and UNODC managed the renovation carried out by Tajikistan''s Promstroy engineering firm. The renovation, a priority project requested by the Tajik border guards, includes infrastructure upgrades worth $310,000 and new equipment valued at $115,000.

Sari Gor is one in a series of security enhancement projects along the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border funded by INL.  In 2007, INL financed the reconstruction of border posts at Bog and Bahorak at a cost of $640,000.  INL, UNODC, and Promstroy will team up to rehabilitate two additional posts in the next year. INL is also managing the rehabilitation of three other border posts and a detachment headquarters in the Shuroobod border unit. In the near future, INL plans to renovate the Kulma facility on the border with China and the Qizilart facility in the Pamir region on the border with the Kyrgyz Republic. INL has ongoing projects to totally reconstruct the Border Guard Academy building in Dushanbe and install English and Computer Laboratories for Border Guard students.

In addition to INL''s border security projects, last year the U.S. Embassy opened the $37 million Nizhny Panj Bridge and in August handed over the $$6.5 million border facilities. The U.S. Government will continue its support to the Border Guards.