DUSHANBE - The United States has financed and built an outpost for Tajikistan's guards along its border with Afghanistan.
The outpost has been built at the cost of $900,000 in Shahritus region of Khalton province, US Embassy in Tajikistan said in a statement.
US Charge d’Affaires John Ginkel and deputy commander of Tajikistan’s Border Guard Forces participated in the opening ceremony of the Okultun border outpost.
The border outpost provides Tajik forces with increased capacity to consistently monitor and patrol the border with Afghanistan in the region, the statement said.
It will significantly increase the forces’ ability to monitor and interdict illegal border crossings across a 15-20 kilometer range, and counter transnational threats such as narco-traffickers, smugglers, and violent extremists, according to the statement.
The US Embassy has supported the construction and renovation of nine border outposts and two detachments along the Tajik-Afghan border with the goal of strengthening Tajikistan’s border security. The US government has provided more than $100 million in assistance to strengthen Tajikistan’s border security since 2005, the statement said.
Tajikistan has 1,345 kilometres border with Afghanistan. (1TV News)