DUSHANBE, January 24, 2014, Asia-Plus — No documents were signed at a meeting of commander of Tajik border troops, Lieutenant-General Rajabali Rahmonali, with acting chief of Kyrgyzstan’s border service Raimberdi Duishenbiyev that took place in the Tajik northern city of Isfara on January 23.
A source at one of Tajik power-wielding structures says the meeting was held behind closed doors and the sides reportedly discussed the progress of implementation of agreements on withdrawing strengthened squads from the border.
“Besides, the sides exchanged views on the first findings of their investigations into a January 11 border incident and reached an agreement on establishment of constant contacts to ensure a timely settlement of the possible difficulties,” the source said.
According to him, Rahmonali and Duishenbiyev failed to reach an agreement on a joint patrol of the disputed segments of mutual border.
He further added that joint police squads of the two countries have been on patrol along the disputed stretches of the Tajik-Kyrgyz border since mid-January.
We will recall that five Kyrgyz border guards, one Kyrgyz policeman, and two Tajik border guards were hospitalized with injuries on January 11 after tensions escalated into exchanges of gunfire along the Kyrgyz-Tajik border.
Experts note that the segment of border between the Isfara (Tajikistan) and Batken (Kyrgyzstan) districts is one of the most conflict-prone parts in the Ferghana Valley. Conflicts over land ownership, delineation of the border, and water resources have caused tension between villagers on both sides of the border.
The clash started when Tajiks protested Kyrgyzstan’s construction of a bypass road through disputed territory. Both sides say the other started shooting first. Both sides say the other was trespassing. Kyrgyzstan has withdrawn its ambassador to Tajikistan and insists it will continue building the road. Tajikistan requests to halt the project until the border is delimited.
