DUSHANBE, 12.03.2021 (NIAT Khovar) – Tajikistan and China will take joint measures to open the Kulma checkpoint. This issue was discussed on March 9 at an online meeting of a joint working group.

The Tajik delegation was headed by the Minister of Transport Azim Ibrohim, and the Chinese side by the first deputy head of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Zhang Chongling.

Representatives of the Tajik Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Customs Service, and the Food Safety Committee also took part in the meeting.

The parties reached an agreement to take joint measures for the earliest possible resumption of work of the only checkpoint on the Tajik-Chinese border.

Tajikistan proposed to reduce the cost of loading and unloading goods at the checkpoint, as well as to speed up the return time of empty containers, which was accepted.

On February 18, the First Deputy Head of the Customs Service Azim Tursunzoda said at a press conference that over 260 heavy trucks of Tajik businessmen with goods have accumulated at the Kulma checkpoint.

China is one of the three main suppliers of goods to Tajikistan, second only to Russia and Kazakhstan.

In 2020, Chinese goods worth about $ 440 million were imported into Tajikistan. The total volume of Tajik-Chinese trade in 2020 fell by almost 20% compared to the previous year.

Tajikistan mainly imports non-food products from China, including building materials, auto parts, clothing, various machinery and equipment.