Uzbekistan has begun repairs on a rail bridge that authorities said was destroyed by a terrorist bomb, fergananews.com reports, citing a statement from Tajikistan's Foreign Ministry.
"Tashkent has informed us about the start of restoration work on the rail bridge at the Galaba-Amuzang crossing, linking Hatlon region with the outside world," Nizomiddin Zihidov, deputy foreign minister of Tajikistan reported January 27 at a press conference in Dushanbe.
The rail bridge was said to have been damaged in an explosion November 17. No terrorist group is known to have taken credit for the attack. The incident halted traffic on the line to Tajikistan, blocking food deliveries and driving up prices for Tajiks. The Tajik railroad says 298 freight cars bound for southern Tajikistan have been stalled. Tajik authorities believe Uzbekistan deliberately created the blockage to stop rail traffic into Tajikistan as part of a long-standing dispute over Tajikistan's plans to build a hydroelectric power station that could adversely impact Uzbekistan's irrigation-intensive cotton industry.
Despite the simmering conflicts, Zihidov believes Uzbek-Tajik relations are back on track, fergananews.com reports. While Tashkent turned off gas to Tajikistan for non-payment earlier this month, it restored service after just a day of negotiations.
