According to an analysis by the Eurasian Development Bank, it will take another thirty years for the poorest of the Central Asian countries to stop the exodus of its young people in search of work. But even in Dushanbe, demographic changes and xenophobic tensions in Russia are beginning to slow down the phenomenon, with changes that could begin to be seen within a decade.

Perfect posture, white smile, smooth face paired with thick grey or shiny black hair: from Turkmenistan to Uzbekistan or Kazakhstan, heads of state always appear in perfect shape and full of vitality in official images. Some even use Photoshop to add a few centimetres so as not to look out of place next to Donald Trump's stature.

Although more than half of Central Asia's water resources come from the mountains of Tajikistan, most of the country's residents still do not have access to drinking water. Now the government in Dushanbe has launched a programme to provide it to 72% of the population by 2029. But the question remains as to which international donors will actually be able to finance this plan.

President Emomali Rakhmon recently awarded his daughter Ozoda the honorary title of ‘Exemplary Worker of Tajikistan’. This is yet another example of the habit of Central Asian satraps to generously bestow high honours, medals and awards of all kinds on members of their own families.

This year, China became Tajikistan's main trading partner for the first time, with a balance exceeding billion. At the recent SCO summit held in Tianjin, there was also talk of establishing a centre for combating drug trafficking in Dushanbe, and bilateral agreements were signed on the digital economy, renewable energy and transport.

The celebrations marking 34 years since the country regained its independence with the end of the Soviet Union were an opportunity in Dushanbe to rediscover the meanings behind the flag, the country's coat of arms and its national anthem, whose melody draws on a long local musical tradition.