After nearly 23 years of negotiations, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhparov and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon have signed a treaty on the state border between their countries in Bishkek, according to a TASS correspondent on the scene.
The signing ceremony took place in the Kyrgyz state residence Yntymak Ordo ("Center of Unity") as part of Rahmon’s official visit to the Kyrgyz capital. Following their talks, the two leaders also signed a joint statement.
On February 21, Kamchybek Tashiev, Chairman of Kyrgyzstan’s State Committee for National Security (SCNS) and Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, met with Saymumin Yatimov, Head of Tajikistan’s SCNS, in Bishkek. They signed a protocol on the demarcation of a disputed section of the border, marking what Tashiev called a “historic event.” Kyrgyz officials believe both sides have exchanged equivalent disputed territories.
The Kyrgyz-Tajik border extends approximately 980 km. Since December 2002, the two nations have struggled to define their border, leading to recurring conflicts involving both local residents and military forces, sometimes escalating into armed clashes. The last major confrontation occurred in early autumn 2022. Since 2014, more than ten serious border conflicts have taken place.
Kyrgyzstan shares borders with China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. Until now, Tajikistan was the last neighboring country with which Kyrgyzstan had unresolved border issues.
Tajikistan, in turn, shares borders with Afghanistan (1,343 km), Uzbekistan (over 1,330 km), and China (490 km). A full border demarcation agreement with Uzbekistan was reached in 2019, though work on physically marking the border continues.
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Photo: official website of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic
Based on materials from TASS