News From Tajikistan
Kazakh authorities halted the export of gasoline, diesel fuel and certain types of petroleum products from the country by all types of transport for four months, the press service of the State Revenue Committee of the Ministry of Finance of the republic reported on Wednesday, zakon.kz reported on February 8..
Source: Asia-Plus
The Ministry of Industry and New Technologies (MoINT) has clarified Tajikistan’s proven reserves of antimony.
An official source at a MoINT says the country’s proven antimony reserves are estimated at about 600,000 tons.
“Continued exploration may open up new deposits of antimony in Tajikistan,” the source added.
According to data on the content of antimony in the earth’s crust provided by Tajikistan’s MoINT, each kilogram of ore contains only 0.2 milligrams of antimony.
Meanwhile, according to the US Geological Service (USGS), estimates of the abundance of antimony in the earth's crust range from 0.2 to 0.5 parts per million. Antimony is chalcophile, occurring with sulfur and the heavy metals, lead, copper, and silver. Over a hundred minerals of antimony are found in nature.
According to the MoINT, the biggest antimony reserves are concentrated at Jizhikrut and Konchok deposits in Ayni district, Sughd province.
The Main Geology Directorate under the Government of Tajikistan notes that ores of these deposits contain more than 15 percent of this semi-metal.
Based on these stocks, the Anzob ore refinery has operated since the late 1940s.
According to data from the MoINT, Anzob Limited Liability Company (LLC) is now engaged in extracting antimony in Ayni district. This company was established as the Tajikistan-U.S. joint venture in 2005. Tajikistan owned 51 percent of the shares and the United States’ Comsup Commodities Inc. assumed the 49% ownership interest in this enterprise. In September 2006, Comsup Commodities Inc. repurchased Tajikistan’s share in the company, becoming the only owner of “Anzob” LLC.
The company later built a plant on processing ores and producing a mercury-antimony concentrate there.
In a report released at a news conference in Dushanbe, the Main Geology Directorate head Ilhomjon Oimuhammadzoda revealed on February 1 that there are eleven antimony deposits in Tajikistan and nine of them are located in Zarafshon and Hisor valleys.
According to the Main Geology Directorate, Tajikistan’s antimony deposits are stated to be the largest in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region and Tajikistan is in the second place globally in terms of the proven antimony reserves.
Concentrates of mercury-antimony ores of Tajikistan are processed in other countries. They were processed in Kyrgyzstan one time, but after unilateral closure of the border by Kyrgyzstan in late April 2021, Tajikistan’s concentrates of mercury-antimony ores have been processed in China.
In his address to a joint meeting of both chambers of parliament, President Emomali Rahmon noted on December 23 last year that “the Government is mandated to pay special attention to the extraction and processing of non-ferrous metals from identified deposits, including antimony, tungsten, nickel and other metals, and to develop and implement a program on their full processing in the country.”
An article by Bryant Harris, published in DefenseNews on June 8 last year, in particular, notes that antimony is a critical mineral that is vital to producing ammunition.
The article says the House Armed Services Committee “took its first stab at addressing China’s grip on the antimony supply chain in draft legislation” it released on June 8.
A report accompanying the bill reportedly notes that the committee is concerned over recent geopolitical dynamics with Russia and China and how that could accelerate supply chain disruptions, particularly with antimony.
China is the largest producer of mined and refined antimony and a major source of imports for the United States, the report says, noting that China is “losing market share with Russia, the world’s second-ranked producer,” with Tajikistan gaining ground in the global market as the world’s third-largest supplier of antimony.
The U.S. Defense Department reportedly submitted its own legislative proposal to Congress in May last year, asking lawmakers to authorize US$253.5 million in the defense authorization bill to procure additional minerals for the stockpile.
A lead-antimony alloy is also used in batteries. Other uses of antimony alloys include type metal (in printing presses) and cable sheathing. Antimony compounds are also used to make flame-retardant materials, paints, enamels, glass and pottery.
Source: Asia-Plus
According to data from the Interior Ministry of the Russian Federation, a record number of Tajiks received Russian citizenship last year – 173,634 people, which is 69,953 people more compared to 2021. In 2021, 103,681 Tajiks received Russian citizenship.
Source: Asia-Plus
An official source within the Committee for Architecture and Construction under the Government of Tajikistan says three more flyovers are expected to be built in Dushanbe.
One of them is expected to be built on the site of the Victory Square (IS-2 tank monument).
The second flyover will be built at the crossroads of Hofiz Sherozi Avenue and Qahhorov Street (at the turn to the meat-packing plant).
The third flyover will be built at the cross road of Saadi Sherozi and Sino Street (locally known as Profsoyuz circle).
Lutfullo Ismoilzoda, flyover construction project expert, says, “All documents are prepared and sent for approval to the Dushanbe Administration and other relevant bodies. We are waiting for the decision of the authorities to start the construction work.”
Recall, two three-route flyovers now operate in the Tajik capital. One of them was inaugurated in September 2018 and the second one was inaugurated in October 2020.
Meanwhile, a reliable source within the Dushanbe Administration told Asia-Plus in late October 2019 that as a part of the municipal redevelopment plan for Dushanbe, some 20 flyovers will be constructed in Dushanbe by 2030.
“The projects for construction of three- and to-route flyovers in the Circus area, at the turn to the meat-packing plant, at the turn to airport, in the creamery area, in the U.S. Embassy area, at the 102nd roundabout, in the cement plant area, in the Korvon bazaar area and near the Dushanbe Western Gate are currently under consideration,” the source said.
According to him, the flyovers will be built due to funds provided by the Dushanbe Administration and investments.
Source: Asia-Plus
Tajikistan’s privately owned air company, Somon Air, has resumed flights from Dushanbe to Urumqi, the capital of China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR).
The first flight on this air route took place on February 8, according to the Somon Air press center. According to the Somon Air press center, Boeing 737-800 and Boeing 737-900 are used to operate this flight
30 passengers were aboard the flight from Dushanbe to Urumqi and 34 passengers reportedly arrived from Urumqi in Dushanbe.
This flight is still operated once-weekly service – on Wednesdays, and starting from March, this flight is expected to be operated twice a week.
Somon Air is the first private airline in Tajikistan with an office headquartered in Dushanbe. The airline operations are based at Dushanbe International Airport. The airline started operating on February 5, 2008 with regular flights to Moscow and Dubai. Somon Air also serves as the official carrier of President of the Republic of Tajikistan and other Tajikistan high-ranking officials.
Somon Air is a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Somon Air's fleet consists of Boeing 737-800 and 737-900 family aircraft. The company is focused on expanding the route network of air transportation and the fleet, and currently operates regular flights from Tajikistan to Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Turkiye, China, India, Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
Source: Asia-Plus