DUSHANBE, December 11, 2008, Asia-Plus — The main border directorate within the State Committee for National Security (GKNB) today released a statement, which, in particular, says that reports released by some media about opening by Uzbek authorities of all checkpoints on border with Tajikistan are not quite right.
Tajik borer service’s press service says that only checkpoints Navbunyod, Uro Teppa, Qushtegirmon, Khavotogh and Bratstvo currently function in normal regime, while the checkpoints Ayvaj, Fotihobod, Rabot, Sarazm, Hashtyak and Zafarobod are still closed for proceeding. Uzbek authorities have not yet given explanation of this situation.
We will recall that the Uzbek Embassy in Dushanbe reported that Uzbek authorities opened checkpoints on its common border with Tajikistan on December 4. The source at the Uzbek Embassy said that all crossings currently work in normal regime and Tajik nationals living in areas bordering on Uzbekistan may stay in Uzbekistan for five days without visa. Commenting on the reason for closing checkpoints on the Tajik border, the source said they had been closed “for technical reasons.”
As it had been reported earlier, Uzbek authorities closed all border checkpoints with Tajikistan on November 27 without any explanation and Tajik government was not informed by Uzbek authorities about the closure.
Uzbekistan introduced a visa regime with Tajikistan in 2001 that made travel between the two countries more difficult. There has not been aerial communication between the two countries since 1992.
