Tajik Rahmon administration has long been wary of Tehran exporting Islamic Revolution to inhabitants opposed to Soviet-legacy rule.
A third wave of the coronavirus pandemic is sweeping through Emerging Europe. While Russia is expecting to reach herd immunity in the next two months, most other countries of the region have only just started their mass immunisation programmes.
At this time of year, he is usually out and about taking part in Nowruz festivities. But it is his son Rustam Emomali who is presiding over events.
With economies primed to rebound as pandemic restrictions are loosened, consumer prices could rise even further, reawakening an issue that has long been ignored.
Despite the COVID crunch, Uzbekistan’s borrowing has blossomed. Tajikistan appears headed for trouble.
Tajik government has been trying for two years to boost state revenues by forcing tech firms like Microsoft, Google, Facebook and Booking.com to pay taxes inside Tajikistan.
Mayor Emomali says city hall spent $1.14mn on bus stops.
Predictions of an imminent revolt may be wishful thinking.