Iran, Tajikistan ink MoU to complete anzob tunnel

Iran and Tajikistan signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to complete a strategic tunnel in the Central Asian country.Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, the spokesperson for the lower house of Tajikistan's parliament Muhammadato Sultanov said the $3bln agreement was signed by the two countries to complete the project also known as Istiqlol (independence) tunnel.He added that the Tajik minister of transport, Nizom Hakimov, has briefed the Tajik lawmakers about the project and presented them with the relevant documents.The Anzob Tunnel is a five km long tunnel located 80 km Northwest of Tajikistan's capital city of Dushanbe.The tunnel connects the Tajik capital to the country's second largest city, Khujand, travel to which, prior to the tunnel's construction, required travelers to cross the border into Uzbekistan in order to travel between the two cities.It is also a transit route between Dushanbe and Uzbekistan's capital Tashkent. Prior to construction of the tunnel, especially during winter, the threat of year-round avalanches led to periodic disruptions of commerce.