Tajikistan aims to form a partnership with Tatneft, a leading company from Tatarstan, to operationalize one of the nation's largest oil refineries in the Dangara free economic zone.

Source: Russia-Islworld

This initiative was announced by Sherali Kabir, Tajikistan's Minister of Industry and New Technologies, at an investment forum in Dushanbe, focusing on strengthening relations between Tajikistan and the Russian region.

Kabir stressed the importance of boosting production capacities, especially in the fuel and lubricants sector, as a primary area for cooperation between the two countries. He highlighted the strategic value of the Dangara refinery and expressed optimism that collaboration with Tatneft could expedite the project.

The construction of the Dangara refinery in the Khatlon region commenced in 2014 and concluded in 2018. Despite its designed capacity of 1.2 million tons of oil annually, the refinery has not reached full operation due to a lack of raw materials. Tajikistan's domestic oil production is insufficient to meet the refinery's requirements, prompting discussions with other countries to secure crude oil supplies.

In July, Daler Juma, Tajikistan's Minister of Energy, underscored the necessity of both funding and specialized expertise to operationalize the refinery.