A Lone Voice in Central Asia – The Diplomat

On September 2, 2023, on the orders of President Emomali Rahmon, border markets in Khorog, Darvaz, Vanj, and Ishkashim districts of Tajikistan’s Gorno-Badakhshan region opened for business with Afghanistan. Movement across the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border had been officially suspended since August 2021 and the markets were closed. The sudden decision to re-open them has been seen as a sign of a potential normalization of relations between the two countries. However, more than three months since, little seems to have actually changed and…