Government delegations from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan have completed the description of the remaining disputed stretches of their shared border, according to the Tajik State Committee for National Security (SCNS), as reported by the state-run news agency Khovar.
The announcement follows a meeting between the heads of the State Committees for National Security of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, Saimumin Yatimov and Kamchybek Tashiyev, in Batken, Kyrgyzstan, on December 4. The officials, who co-chair the joint commission for border delimitation and demarcation, discussed the remaining issues related to the border.
During the meeting, both parties reached an agreement to finalize the description of the unresolved border segments. Working groups have been tasked with drafting the official documents required for the delimitation of the Kyrgyz-Tajik border. These documents will then proceed to parliamentary ratification and require the signatures of the presidents of both countries.
Kamchybek Tashiyev, the Kyrgyz chief security officer, noted that the process of border demarcation would be completed in the coming months and expressed gratitude to all members of the commission for their work.
Background on the Border Dispute
The border dispute between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan has been a longstanding issue since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The two countries share a 987-kilometer border, and unresolved territorial claims have contributed to tensions over the past three decades.
Formal talks on border delimitation began in 2002. However, disagreements over territory, irrigation, smuggling, and unauthorized border crossings have periodically led to violence.
The most significant escalation occurred in spring 2021 when armed clashes along a disputed segment of the border resulted in 36 fatalities in Kyrgyzstan, including two children. The conflict also caused extensive damage to civilian infrastructure, including homes, schools, mosques, and administrative buildings.
Following the clashes, Kyrgyzstan unilaterally closed its border with Tajikistan, causing official trade turnover to drop to zero. Despite the closure, smuggling activities reportedly continued across the border.
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