Vice Chairman of Tajikistan's AI Committee Presents Korea-Thailand IT Park and AI Free Zone Initiative

“The key to sovereign AI (artificial intelligence sovereignty) is to build infrastructure within one’s own territory, thoroughly control the data produced within it, and ensure that local engineers have the ability to directly operate the system.”

Najima Noyovtova (26), Vice Chairman of Tajikistan's AI Committee, met with Yonhap News at Conrad Seoul in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul on the 18th and said, "If Korea's technology and Tajikistan's clean energy are combined, we can create a new AI base in Central Asia."

The interview with Vice Chairperson Noyovtova was conducted on the occasion of her recent visit to Korea to attend the 19th Seoul ODA International Conference co-hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and to discuss Korea-Central Asia cooperation.

He is a co-founder of ‘Epsilon 3’, an AI company that builds and distributes sovereign AI solutions. The AI ​​Committee under Tajikistan's Ministry of Industry and New Technology is responsible for Tajikistan's AI policy, introduction of AI in the public sector, and international cooperation.

The Tajikistan government is currently promoting 'digital transformation' and fostering private IT companies as major national tasks in order to make a leap from an agriculture-centered economy to a knowledge and information society. However, the IT infrastructure and startup ecosystem are still weak, so it is necessary to lay a foundation.

Vice-Chairman Noyovtova explains that although AI-related discussions are active locally, its use in industry and public policy is still in its early stages. Accordingly, Tajikistan is focusing on linking AI and digital transformation and applying them to actual administrative and industrial sites.

In response to this demand, KOICA, in cooperation with the Agency for Innovation and Digital Technology (AIDT) under the Office of the President of Tajikistan, will invest $13.5 million (approximately KRW 18.6 billion) from 2027 to 2032 to promote a project to create a 'Korea-Thai IT Park' in the capital Dushanbe.

This project includes not only the construction of the IT park, but also the establishment of a master plan, an AI-based learning diagnosis and performance measurement system, AI-based startup development training, and IT startup discovery and fostering events.

The IT park will be built with corporate space, shared space, meeting rooms, and conference halls, as well as AI-related spaces and servers, storage, and network equipment.

The Tajikistan government is providing a business site, power, high-speed Internet, and water, and is considering administrative and financial support, such as exemption from corporate tax, value-added tax, and customs duties, for companies moving in.

The idea is to use this IT park as an innovation platform that attracts AI-using companies beyond a simple facility for telecommunication companies.

In particular, we plan to build a separate 'AI Free Zone' (Area AI) within the complex where import duties and various fees are completely exempted (0%) to attract a large number of excellent Korean tech companies as well as global companies.

The AI ​​free zone explained by Vice Chairman Noyovtova encompasses AI-related hardware and robots. He expressed hope for the participation of Korean companies, saying, “The goal is to allow foreign companies to come in, produce technology, and sell it from Tajikistan to other regions of Central Asia.”

However, the AI ​​Free Zone is not currently a physically completed zone. The Tajikistan government formed an AI consortium involving local and international companies and government agencies in October 2025 and opened its first hub in January this year. Currently, the process of finalizing investment benefits, including tax benefits, is in progress.

He selected robots, drones, and satellites in addition to AI infrastructure as areas of cooperation with Korea.

“Tajikistan has cheap and clean hydropower, a young population, and a government open to innovation,” said Vice Chairperson Noyovtova. “Korea has technological and industrial expertise, capabilities in data centers and energy systems, and robotics and satellites.”

He then suggested, "Korea's investment in an eco-friendly AI data center utilizing hydroelectric power, local production and assembly of robot and drone systems, and joint training of engineers are possible."

In the satellite field, we are considering collaborating with a Korean company on a lake monitoring project in mountainous areas. The plan is to observe mountainous areas using satellites, and for related companies to expand their business to Central Asia by establishing a satellite-related base within an industrial complex in Tajikistan.

The Tajikistan government’s use of AI is also expanding. Vice Chairman Noyovtova explained that her government has combined separate systems to utilize global AI tools while managing sensitive government data in its internal infrastructure.

He said, “It is difficult for the government to simply use global AI tools because it holds sensitive information,” and added, “We are educating government officials to understand how to use AI safely, its accuracy and limitations, and allowing a preliminary period before introduction to ensure sufficient use.”

Vice Chairman Noyovtova is also interested in Korea's e-government experience. Evaluating Korea's e-government as a best practice, he said he would like to learn about inter-agency information sharing, AI governance, and public-private cooperation models.

Energy and water resource management using AI is also considered an area of ​​cooperation between the two countries. Tajikistan is rich in hydroelectric power and water resources, but must respond to increased demand for electricity in winter and seasonal water shortages.

“Using AI to predict power demand and water demand can increase the efficiency of reservoir operation and water distribution,” he said, emphasizing that combining Korea’s green ODA with these AI models can create substantial climate adaptation synergy.

In the interview, he also made it clear that in order to reduce the AI ​​gap in developing countries, there is a need to move away from the existing unilateral aid method.

“We should not only look at what developing countries need, but also what they can provide,” said Noyovtova. “Tajikistan can provide water resources, energy, and a young population, while Korea has advanced technology, industrial expertise, and capital.”

He also said, “Effective cooperation involves combining the resources of each country to build capabilities together,” and added, “I hope that both countries will continue cooperation by creating specific joint projects.”