(CA-News) – Japan has allocated over US $24.32 million for a project on reconstruction of an 18-km section of a motor road in southern Tajikistan, CA-News reported citing the republic’s Foreign Ministry. The signing of corresponding documents has taken place in Dushanbe.

The project will be implemented as part of grant assistance by the Japanese Government. The project consists of two stages, covering a total length of 60 kilometres.

The motor road connects the administrative centre of Tajikistan’s southern Khatlon (ختلان) province and the northern regions of Afghanistan. Khatlon has an area of 24,800 km² with a total population of 2.6 million. During the Soviet era, Khatlon became one of the two main cotton regions in Tajikistan. The population in Khatlon is mainly engaged in agricultural activities, especially cotton growing and cattle raising. No more than 3% of the population works in the industrial sector.