Tajik entrepreneurs reportedly intend to participate in construction of clinics and hotels in Uzbekistan’s Surkhandarya region.

According to the Uzbek Embassy in Dushanbe, Tajik business delegation will visit the Surkhandarya region in the near future.  This issue was reportedly discussed at a meeting of Uzbekistan’s Ambassador to Tajikistan Ergash Shoismatov with Khurshed Saidov, the head of the Dushanbe Entrepreneurship Development Support Center.  

The parties discussed issues related to “participation of Tajik entrepreneurs in practical implementation of large-scale investment projects in the Surkhandarya region.”  

Khurshed Saidov reportedly informed the Uzbek diplomat of Tajik entrepreneurs’ plans to participate in investment projects aimed at enhancing agrarian sector as well as constructing hotels and clinics.  

“The sides have reached an agreement that a Tajik delegation will visit Uzbekistan in the near future to conduct negotiations with the Surkhandarya local authorities,” a representative at the Uzbek Embassy told Asia-Plus in an interview.  

Surkhandarya Region is a viloyat (region) of Uzbekistan, located in the extreme south-east of the country. Established on March 6, 1941, it borders on Qashqadarya Region internally, and Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan externally.  According to official data, 83% of the population are Uzbeks and 1% Tajiks, but non-official statistics show Surkhandarya is a Persian-speaking area, because most Tajiks of Uzbekistan are concentrated in Surkhandarya, Samarqand and Bukhara regions.  The regional capital is Termez and the second largest city is Denau.  Other towns include Boysun, Jarqurghon, Qumqurghon, Shargun, Shirabad, Shurchi, and Sariosiyo.  The region has a well-developed transport infrastructure, with 300 kilometers of railways and 2,700 km of surfaced roads.  Central Asia's only river port is located at Termez on the Amudarya River.