Japan Grants 3.255 Billion Yen for Dushanbe Substation Project in Tajikistan

The Government of Japan will provide grant aid up to 3.255 billion yen for the project to construct a backbone power system substation in Dushanbe, the capital of the Republic of Tajikistan. An exchange of notes between the governments of both countries took place in Dushanbe on August 11, 2026, and the summary was published in the Official Gazette on September 17, 2026, as Ministry of Foreign Affairs Notice No. 291. The notice was issued by Minister for Foreign Affairs Toshimitsu Motegi.

This matter is based on the framework of grant aid (grants) for developing countries, and the purpose and content of the cooperation are explicitly stated as “the purchase of products and services necessary to implement the Dushanbe City Backbone Power System Substation Construction Project.” The deadline for the provision of grants is December 31, 2033, and the documents were signed by Keiko Furuta, Ambassador of Japan to Tajikistan, on the Japanese side, and Sirojiddin Muhriddin, Minister of Foreign Affairs, on the Tajik side.

Purpose of Cooperation and Grant Limit

The framework of the project as indicated in the notice is as follows:

• Project Name: Dushanbe City Backbone Power System Substation Construction Project
• Purpose and Content of Cooperation: Purchase of products and services necessary to implement the project
• Grant Limit: 3.255 billion yen
• Grant Provision Deadline: December 31, 2033

The amount represents the budget allocated for the procurement of equipment and materials and the purchase of related services, and the project is positioned to stabilize the capital’s backbone power system through the construction of the substation itself.

Signatories and Publication Process

The exchange of notes took place on August 11, 2026, in Dushanbe. The signatories for the Japanese and Tajik sides are as follows:

• Japanese side: Keiko Furuta, Ambassador of Japan to Tajikistan
• Tajik side: Sirojiddin Muhriddin, Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Publication: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Notice No. 291 (September 17, 2026, Minister for Foreign Affairs Toshimitsu Motegi)

Approximately one month elapsed from the exchange to the notice, and the purpose of cooperation, the limit, the provision deadline, and the signatories were officially finalized through the Official Gazette notice.

Other Support for Tajikistan and Deadline Extensions in the Same Official Gazette

Another instance of grant aid for Tajikistan was published in the same Official Gazette. Ministry of Foreign Affairs Notice No. 290 is a summary of the exchange of notes regarding grants for a human resource development scholarship program, with a limit of 296 million yen, a provision deadline of December 31, 2033, and the same signatories as this case: Ambassador Keiko Furuta and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sirojiddin Muhriddin.

Furthermore, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Notice No. 289 announced the extension of the grant provision deadline for an existing grant aid project through the exchange of notes. The target project is as follows:

• Project for Improvement of Health Care Delivery System in Northern Region (Republic of Ghana)
• Project for Strengthening Customs Security Measures in Aqaba (Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan)
• Project for Densification of GNSS Continuous Observation Points and Modernization of Tide Gauge Stations in Bangladesh
• Project for Improvement of Power Supply Capacity in Andaman and Nicobar Islands (India)
• Project for Emergency Rehabilitation and Strengthening of Distribution Network in Dakar Region (Republic of Senegal)
• Second Project for Procurement of Education and Research Equipment for Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology
• Project for Trenchless Sewer Pipe Rehabilitation in Ho Chi Minh City (Socialist Republic of Vietnam)
• Project for Development of Terrestrial Digital Television Broadcasting Network (Republic of Maldives)

Positioning within Central Asia Assistance

Tajikistan is one of the countries where the development of power infrastructure in Central Asia remains a challenge, and this project targets the construction of a substation belonging to the backbone system of the capital. The limit of 3.255 billion yen significantly exceeds the 296 million yen for the Human Resource Development Scholarship Project announced on the same day, making it the largest scale among the assistance for Tajikistan published in the same day’s official gazette.

Another characteristic is that the grant deadline is set for the long term, December 31, 2033 (Reiwa 15), which can be interpreted as a framework that accounts for the process from procurement of equipment and materials to installation and trial operation. As a specific project in the power sector among the Japanese government’s assistance to Central Asia, its future implementation status will be closely watched.

【Official Sources】

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs Notice No. 291 (Summary of Exchange of Notes concerning the Grant etc. for the Project for Construction of Substation for Backbone Power System in Dushanbe City) / September 17, 2036 (Reiwa 8) / Minister for Foreign Affairs Toshimitsu Motegi
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs Notice No. 290 (Summary of Exchange of Notes concerning the Grant etc. for the Human Resource Development Scholarship Project) / September 17, 2036 (Reiwa 8) / Minister for Foreign Affairs Toshimitsu Motegi
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs Notice No. 289 (Extension of Grant Deadline for Grant Aid) / September 17, 2036 (Reiwa 8) / Minister for Foreign Affairs Toshimitsu Motegi