On September 28, President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Leader of the Nation, His Excellency Emomali Rahmon, held a meeting with the leaders and activists of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province in the city of Khorugh.

At the outset, President Emomali Rahmon congratulated the patriotic and hardworking residents of the Province on the occasion of the national celebration marking the 35th anniversary of State Independence.

The Leader of the Nation also paid tribute to the memory of the late Alisher Mirzonabot, a well-respected son of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province and former head of the Province, and once again expressed his deepest condolences to his parents, relatives, and loved ones.

It was emphasized that the late Alisher Mirzonabot was among those officials who made loyalty to the state and nation and a strong sense of responsibility in carrying out his duties.

It was noted that many facilities built in the cities and districts of the Province in preparation for the 35th anniversary of State Independence, some of which were inaugurated today, were implemented through his personal patriotic efforts.

President Emomali Rahmon expressed sincere gratitude to the parents of the late Alisher Mirzonabot for raising such a loyal and patriotic son.

The Head of State instructed that Secondary School No. 6 in the city of Khorugh be named after the late Alisher Mirzonabot.

During his speech, the Head of State referred to the achievements made during the period of independence, describing them as the result of the great constructive and development-oriented efforts of the proud people of the country.

It was emphasized that, as a result of the continuous attention and consistent efforts of the Government of the country, profound economic and social changes have taken place in the Province over the 35 years of independence.

It was noted that the gross domestic product of the Province has increased 93-fold over the past 25 years, reaching 3 billion somoni in 2025. In 1991, the Province’s population was only 172,000, whereas today it exceeds 236,000, an increase of 64,000 compared with the beginning of the independence period.

The Head of State stated that more than 120,000 new jobs had been created in the Province during the period of independence, while 27,000 citizens had received free vocational and professional training, more than 60 percent of whom were women.

The provincial authorities, the authorities of its cities and districts, and the relevant ministries and agencies were instructed to make more effective use of existing opportunities, ensure the development of the private sector, further accelerate economic growth, give priority to job creation and increasing incomes, and improve the living standards of the population.

President Emomali Rahmon stated that during the period of independence, more than 26 billion somoni from all sources of financing had been allocated for the social and economic development of the Province. Of this amount, 9.3 billion somoni had been allocated from the state budget alone, ensuring continued financing of the Province’s social and economic needs.

It was reported that the Government of the country had implemented 41 major state investment projects in the Province worth more than 4 billion somoni, while the implementation of another 13 projects, with a total value of 5.5 billion somoni, is currently underway.

It was emphasized that since 2008, the Directorate for the Construction of Government Facilities under the Executive Office of the President has constructed and commissioned 123 social and administrative facilities in the cities and districts of the Province, at a cost of 863 million somoni. Construction of another 28 facilities, worth more than 1 billion somoni, is currently underway.

According to President Emomali Rahmon, during the years of independence, 3,765 hectares of residential land were allocated to more than 37,000 families in the Province to improve living conditions and facilitate the construction of housing.

President Emomali Rahmon stated that, in preparation for the 35th anniversary of State Independence, the construction and renovation of 1,362 facilities had been planned in the cities and districts of the Province. To date, 1,545 facilities have been constructed and commissioned, representing 113 percent of the plan.

President Emomali Rahmon expressed his sincere gratitude to the patriotic and hardworking residents of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province, as well as entrepreneurs and philanthropists, for their high sense of patriotism, initiative, and valuable contribution to the development and improvement of the country.

During his speech, the Leader of the Nation spoke in detail about the development of key sectors, including industry, energy, promising areas, state programs, and the main strategic priorities of the Government.

It was reported that 202 industrial enterprises are currently operating in the Province, while more than 190 new production enterprises have been established during the period of independence.

The relevant ministries and agencies were instructed by the Head of State to work together with the leaders of the cities and districts to expand efforts to attract domestic and foreign investment.

It was emphasized that strengthening industrial capacity, developing entrepreneurship, and improving the living standards and quality of life of the population depend on the development of the energy sector.

It was noted that, overall, more than 3.4 billion somoni had been allocated for the development of the Province’s energy sector during the years of independence. During this period, 134 major state investment projects worth a total of 2.3 billion somoni had been implemented, while 16 additional energy projects worth 400 million somoni are currently underway.

“On the initiative of the Government of the country, the first major power plant of the independence period — Pamir-1 — was constructed, followed by the construction and commissioning of dozens of small and medium-sized hydropower plants, solar power plants, electricity transmission lines, and modern substations,” President Emomali Rahmon stated.

It was also reported that new hydropower and solar power plants had recently been commissioned in the districts of Murghob, Shughnon, Darvoz, and Rushon, while the Sebzor hydropower plant had also begun operations.

The relevant ministries and agencies, as well as the executive authorities of the Province and its cities and districts, were instructed to take measures to accelerate the construction of new energy capacities, modernize electricity networks, and make wider use of renewable energy sources.

While analyzing the development of agriculture, it was emphasized that, as a result of the dedicated efforts of the Province’s farmers, agricultural production reached 1.131 billion somoni in 2025, which is 14 times higher than in 2000.

Taking into account the Province’s natural and climatic conditions, the relevant ministries and agencies and the executive authorities of the Province and its cities and districts were instructed to take measures to make effective use of every available area of agricultural land.

“Overcoming the communications deadlock and developing a modern road network is one of the major achievements of the independence period for the Province,” President Emomali Rahmon stated.

It was reported that 13 state investment projects worth a total of 2.3 billion somoni had been implemented to develop the Province’s transport infrastructure, resulting in the construction and commissioning of 266 kilometers of roads, 32 bridges, and 2 tunnels. As a result of these projects, important sections of the international Dushanbe–Kulob–Qalai Khumb–Khorugh–Murghob–Kulma highway, including the Murghob–Kulma, Shkev–Zighar, Shohon–Zighar roads and other important roads and bridges, have been reconstructed in accordance with international standards.

It was deemed necessary for the responsible authorities to take concrete measures to ensure the timely and high-quality implementation of road construction projects, as well as the reconstruction and maintenance of roads and bridges.

During his speech, President Emomali Rahmon also analyzed the development of other sectors of the national economy in the Province and assigned specific tasks to the relevant officials concerning education, healthcare, culture, youth and women, tourism, and other areas.

The Head of State emphasized that, during the period of independence, the Government had taken effective measures to strengthen the material and technical base of education in the Province and improve the quality of teaching and upbringing. In the past 20 years alone, more than 2.3 billion somoni from the state budget had been allocated for the development of education in the Province.

It was reported that funding for healthcare in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province had steadily increased during the years of independence, with its budget reaching more than 206 million somoni in 2026, 22 percent higher than the previous year. Over the past 20 years, more than 1.2 billion somoni from the state budget had been allocated for the development of healthcare in the Province. During this period, more than 280 healthcare facilities, worth 370 million somoni, had been constructed or renovated and commissioned.

At the conclusion of his speech, President Emomali Rahmon expressed confidence that the patriotic and hardworking people of the Province would continue to work with a strong sense of responsibility, pride in the state and national statehood, and dedication for the prosperity and strengthening of the capacity of independent Tajikistan.

Following President Emomali Rahmon’s speech, teachers Gulzoda Mumtoza and Fayziddin Alizoda, as well as veteran Ismoil Orifsho, addressed the meeting with the leaders and activists of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province. They spoke about the achievements made during the period of independence, including the development of education, the contribution of the Leader of the Nation to the prosperity of this part of the country, efforts to ensure a decent standard of living, and other matters. They expressed their gratitude to the youth-oriented leader, His Excellency Emomali Rahmon, for his growing attention and care.