Russian President Vladimir Putin is holding a trilateral meeting with the leaders of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, Sadyr Zhaparov and Emomali Rahmon, on the sidelines of the Astana summit on Thursday.
The Russian president noted that both Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are close allies of the Russian side. "We work very closely within the framework of international organizations and are certainly strategic partners. Suffice to say that one million citizens [of Kyrgyzstan] live, study and work in Russia. And two million citizens of Tajikistan also work and live in the Russian Federation," Putin said.
The head of state also noted an increase in the volume of mutual trade. "Both with one and the other side there is about 45% growth last year and 20-30% growth in the first seven months of this year. The volume is very large and of course we are interested in preserving such conditions for the progressive positive development or re-creating them where necessary," he said.
The rest of the conversation was held behind closed doors, without media. As Yuri Ushakov, aide to the Russian president, told reporters, the presidents will discuss the situation on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border. The Kremlin spokesperson emphasized that Moscow "perceives with concern the periodic aggravation of the situation" there.
In mid-September, there was a military conflict between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan on the border. Heavy fighting started on September 14 in the Kekh area of the Tajik enclave of Vorukh and lasted until September 17 in separate sections of the common border. According to Tajik reports, more than 40 Tajik residents were killed in the conflict. Bishkek reported 59 Kyrgyz citizens were killed.
The Tajik-Kyrgyz border is more than 980 km long and since the collapse of the Soviet Union there have been dozens of disputed sections. To date, more than 660 km of the border between the two countries have been identified and agreed upon in the process of delimitation and demarcation. In some areas, disputes and conflicts arise from time to time between residents of the border areas.
GSV "Russia - Islamic world"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS