Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov has labeled the statement by MP Sultanbay Ayzhigitov regarding the Kyrgyz-Tajik border agreement as demagoguery and provocation.
Fergana news agency says Jogorku Kenesh (Kyrgyz parliament) member Ayzhigitov, who has experience as the governor of Batken region and service in security agencies, on March 5 criticized several points of the agreement. In particular, he drew attention to Article 12 of the draft treaty, which states that the document is indefinite and cannot be denounced. According to Ayzhigitov, this means that Tajikistan has achieved its strategic goals.
The MP emphasized that Tajikistan, since Soviet times, has aimed to acquire a corridor to the enclave of Vorukh and annex it to its territory. He believes that now, Tajikistan has essentially received a transport corridor, and only one step remains for the full annexation of Vorukh.
Ayzhigitov also expressed concerns about the transfer of the village of Dostuk, which, in his view, holds strategic importance for Kyrgyzstan. He proposed keeping the village under Kyrgyzstan’s control and signing a new agreement for the joint use of the Dostuk-Ak-Sai-Vorukh road.
Additionally, Ayzhigitov criticized the exchange of territories, pointing out that in 2003-2004, Tajikistan received 104 hectares of land in exchange for the promise of transferring the Min-Oruk-Samarkandek road, which it failed to fulfill.
The MP also stressed the need to reject the transfer of 19,000 hectares of land around Vorukh to Tajikistan, which, according to him, the Tajik side has illegally used since 1991.
Ayzhigitov’s statement sparked sharp criticism in the parliament. Most deputies highlighted the importance of finalizing the delimitation process, maintaining peace and stability in the region, and urged against stirring up the public until the agreement is ratified. They noted that resolving the border issue is a historic moment that will prevent future conflicts and foster development in the border areas.
On the same day, Ayzhigitov was expelled from the parliamentary faction for expressing an "incorrect position" on the sensitive topic and for stirring up the public without coordinating his speech on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border.
In response, President Japarov expressed bewilderment at Ayzhigitov’s remarks and stated that the Kyrgyz-Tajik border issue had been definitively resolved.
He noted that Ayzhigitov, being from Batken region and a former governor, is well aware of the details but is manipulating facts. In particular, he distorts information about the Vorukh territory, suggesting that Kyrgyzstan gave away more land than necessary. The claim that Dostuk village is the "gateway" to Vorukh is also incorrect, as the "gate" is the village of Ak-Sai, the president clarified.
"Both sides, in exchanging lands, did not pursue strategic goals. We only exchanged those areas where conflicts were constantly arising. These lands were either enclaves, located in a checkerboard pattern, or directly adjacent to our villages. We also received villages from them," Japarov added.
The president called the MP’s criticism of the agreement’s indefinite nature illogical. "According to his logic, should we argue about land every year, fight, and shoot?" the president asked.
"The border issue is settled forever. That’s it, a final point has been made, and the interests of both sides have been considered. Much can still be said about the border, but it is not the time yet. Let everything conclude, and then we will speak. History will judge us, and I am sure it will give us an 'excellent' grade," Japarov concluded.
