The Asian Development Bank (ADB) Tajikistan Resident Mission (TJRM) has planted 50 trees along the Dushanbe-Uzbekistan border road in the Shahrinav District of Tajikistan as part of the bank’s 50th anniversary celebrations.

“We want to highlight ADB’s contribution to improving the infrastructure in Tajikistan with this activity,” said C.C.Yu, ADB’s Country Director for Tajikistan.  “ADB has been working with Tajikistan for almost 19 years and we will continue to respond to the country’s priority needs to further promote sustainable and inclusive growth.”

According to ADB’s TJRM, the tree-planting event was attended by government officials from the Ministry of Transport, local authorities, ecologists, and citizens from the Shahrinav District, along with ADB staff.

The road from the Dushanbe’s Western Gate to the Uzbekistan border is a vital connection between Tajikistan and its neighbors, serving as a key section of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Corridor 3 that spans almost 7,000 kilometers from the Russian Federation in the north to the Persian Gulf in the south.

ADB provided a $120 million grant for the project, which included road widening and realignment, as well as improvements to drainage structures, bridges, and road safety features.  It also supported the modernization of the Dousti border crossing point to ease the movement of people and goods. Through training and direct financial support, the project encouraged small business development among women in the project area, and helped improve village access roads, sidewalks, and social infrastructure in selected border communities.

Tajikistan joined ADB in 1998, and, to date, ADB has approved over $1.5 billion in concessional loans, grants, and technical assistance to the country.  ADB’s country partnership strategy with Tajikistan focuses on improved infrastructure, investment climate reforms, and improved food security.

ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. Established in 1966, ADB is celebrating 50 years of development partnership in the region. It is owned by 67 countries—48 from the region.