DUSHANBE, March 3, Asia-Plus - Chinese delegation arrived in Dushanbe Thursday [March 2] afternoon to discuss issues related to the construction of the Shar-Shar tunnel in Tajikistan.

According to information from the Ministry of Transport (MoT), the Chinese delegation today morning met with Tajik Minister of Transport Abdurrahim Ashurov. 

Their talks focused on preparatory works for the construction of the Shar-Shar tunnel in southern Tajikistan.  During the meeting Chinese specialists touched upon the issue of supply of machines for this purpose and numbers of Chinese and Tajik specialists to be involved in the project, the MoT source said.  

The Asia-Plus interlocutor says the project for the construction of this tunnel has already been submitted for examination to the Committee for Construction and Architecture.   After the project is endorsed the date of the beginning of the construction will be fixed and the Chinese side will announce a tender among its construction companies for the construction of the tunnel.  

 The Shar-Shar tunnel, which will be some 2.2 kilometers in length, will link the Tajik capital to Kulob via Norak.  The estimated budget for the implementation of this project is US$38 million and China intends to provide some US$30 million to Tajikistan to construct this tunnel.    

The project is supposed to be finished in 38 months.