DUSHANBE, January 16, 2014, Asia-Plus – A meeting of Tajik and Kyrgyz delegations that took place in the Tajik northern city of Isfara on January 15 resulted in signing of a protocol on mitigation of tensions on the disputed segments of the Tajik-Kyrgyz border.
An official source at one of Tajik power-wielding structures says the Tajik delegation members included Abdurahim Qahhorov, Secretary of the Security Council of Tajikistan, Rajabali Rahmonali, Commander of Tajik Border Troops, Iskandar Rajabov, Deputy Interior Ministry of Tajikistan, as well as senior officers of the Regional Border Directorate for Sughd Province.
“The Kyrgyz side was represented by Alik Mamyrkulov, Head of the Defense and Public Law Department under the Government of Kyrgyzstan, Iskender Mambetaliyev, Chief of Main Staff of the State Border Service of Kyrgyzstan, and senior officers of the Regional Border Directorate for Batken Region,” the source noted.
The protocol reportedly provides for setting up a joint commission for studying the actual strengths of border units and police special units.
The commission should submit proposals on taking servicemen of border units and police special units to places of constant deployment for consideration to chiefs of Tajik and Kyrgyz border services within two days.
Under the protocol, border patrol should be conducted by regular border guards.
For the purpose of maintaining public order and security of citizens in border villages, police officers of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan will continue joint patrol of separate segments of mutual border.
Meanwhile, Kyrgyz media sources report that Kyrgyz Ambassador to Tajikistan Urmat Saralayev will not return to Dushanbe until investigation into the border incident is completed.
Kyrgyzstan’s Foreign Ministry reportedly noted that the period for which Kyrgyz ambassador to Tajikistan had been recalled was not defined. “Everything depends on how long the investigation into the cause of the incident will take and whether the guilty persons will be punished,” the Kyrgyz MFA was quoted as saying.
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.
