Kyrgyzstan’s news agency Turmush, citing the press center of the administration of the Kyrgyz district of Batken, reported on March 14 that the Kyrgyz and Tajik delegations have met in Orto Boz village in the Kyrgyz Batken district to discuss carrying out spring field work in the border areas.
The meeting was reportedly co-chaired by Uchkunbek Zhorobayev, the head of the Batken district, and Bahovaddin Bahodourzoda, the head of the Tajik district of Isfara, and its members included senior representatives of district law enforcement authorities and heads of water management agencies of both districts.
The meeting participants reportedly discussed issues related to maintaining law and order in the border areas, carrying out irrigation work and cleaning ditches, as well as preventing conflict situations and possible provocations.
Recall, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan have reportedly agreed upon of 90 percent of previously contested territory. In a report released at a news conference in Dushanbe, the head of the State Committee of Land Management and Geodesy of Tajikistan Orif Khojazoda, who is also chairman of the Tajik topographic working group, noted on February 8 that the parties have agreed on delimitation of 889.45 kilometers of their shared border to date.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has announced that an agreement addressing the long-standing border dispute between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan is set to be signed in March this year. The announcement followed discussions between Fidan and Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon in Dushanbe on January 10. The Turkish top diplomat’s visit to Kyrgyzstan the day prior reportedly also featured discussions on the impending agreement.
The border of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan has been the scene of unrest repeatedly since the collapse of the former Soviet Union. Border talks between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan began in 2002. The countries share 972 kilometers of border and unresolved border issues have led to tensions for the past 30 years.
