On January 30, 2018 Tajikistan celebrated ancient tradition Melodi Otash or Idi Sada at the state level for the first time. The main events of the holiday took place in the Friendship of the People Park of Culture and Rest in Dushanbe.

Also in January, for the first time Tajikistan was deemed the new Asian Tiger by some Russian publications.

“There are a lot of reasons. I will name only the main one, — the diligence of Tajik farmers, who are pulling out the entire national economy from the archaic state by their work on the ground,” said the Director of the EAEU Institute, political expert Vladimir Lepekhin (pictured above) with the Russian agency Sputnik.

“I believe Tajikistan is entering a new level of development — the level of sustainable growth of the national economy, active development of foreign markets and the transformation of the country into a powerful transport and trade hub of Central Eurasia,” added Lepekhin.

On February 5, the gold trophy that is awarded to the winners of the FIFA World Cup 2018 was brought to Tajikistan for the first time in country’s history as part of the Trophy Tour campaign.

March 9 marked the first ever state visit of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Tajikistan. The President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon welcomed his counterpart at the Dushanbe International Airport. The heads of the two states agreed to demarcate the remaining sections of the state border, dividing the Farhod Hydropower Plant and signed a new visa-free agreement. In total, the two presidents signed 27 cooperation agreements.

On March 13-15, for the first time, Tajik tour operators attended the 25th Moscow International Exhibition of Tourism Industry (MITT). MITT is among the world’s five largest tourist exhibitions, which is being held since 1994 and received a mark of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry.

On March 16, in accordance with the instructions of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the Tajik citizens could enter Uzbekistan without a visa for up to 30 days for the first time in many years. Three days later, Tajikistan ratified the agreement “On the Procedure for the Presence of Citizens of the Two Countries in Each Other’s Territory” with Uzbekistan. Citizens of both countries celebrated Navruz together.

On March 20, Tajikistan celebrated the Day of Culture. Officials from the Ministry of Culture of Tajikistan visited seasoned experts working in the fields of culture at home and congratulated them on this day. An event was held at the Tajik Institute of Art and Culture. Also, an exhibition of folk crafts and achievements of cultural workers was organized near the Institute’s building.

A decree of the government of Tajikistan declaring March 20 as the Day of Culture was adopted on April 5, 2017.

In May, during Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s visit to Dushanbe, the heads of the two states signed a Roadmap for Cooperation in Key Areas until 2020. By Lukashenko’s order, two orchards in the Brest and Gomel regions of Belarus were planted with frost-resistant vegetation from the mountainous regions of Tajikistan in honor of the Tajik president.

In May, the first regular bus from Tashkent arrived in Khujand, Tajikistan, ending the 26-year-old cessation of the passenger bus service between the two countries.

On May 26, the population of Tajikistan exceeded nine million, while continuing to grow rapidly. The ninth million citizen was a girl born in the capital’s maternity hospital №1. The president of Tajikistan instructed the Mayor of Dushanbe to provide the baby’s family with a new apartment. After being discharge, the baby and her family moved into a new apartment in the center of Dushanbe.

In June, the National Council on Financial Stabilization was established by a decree of the government of Tajikistan.

On July 4, the Women’s Football Championship took place in Tajikistan for the first time in the country’s history.

On July 23, a boy weighing eight kilograms was born in southern Tajikistan. The infant could not be weighed on an ordinary children’s scale due to his above average weight.

In July, the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon and the Mayor of Dushanbe Rustami Emomali took part in the opening ceremony of the renovated Children’s Park in the district of Ismoili Somoni in Dushanbe.

On August 1, the government of Tajikistan approved the National Tourism Development Strategy until 2030. The tourism development strategy was adopted and will be implemented in stages over the next 12 years.

On August 17-18, the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon paid a state visit to Uzbekistan. The President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev met the head of the Tajik state at the Tashkent International Airport. Following the top-level talks, the two presidents signed 27 agreements.

On August 18-19, the First Summer Festival called Dushanbe Summer Fest was held in the capital of Tajikistan by a decree of the city’s mayor. The festival, which took place in the state-owned complex Navruzgoh, became the main event of the summer attracting many foreign tourists.

On September 5, the country’s first overpass was opened in Dushanbe. Its construction began two years ago. State and Dushanbe officials decided to further improve the quality of Dushanbe-Tursunzoda road and the way further into the border with Uzbekistan.

In September, the first international tourism forum Tajikistan — a Country of Tourism took place in the city of Norak.

On November 16, the first unit of the Rogun Hydropower Plant was launched.

On December 10, Dushanbe was the first city to install a 28-meter New Year tree, outpacing all other cities in Central Asia. The New Year tree in the capital city surpassed the holiday trees in Moscow (27 meters), Astana (25 meters), Bishkek (25 meters) and Tbilisi (25 meters).