DUSHANBE, January 17, 2014, Asia-Plus — All five border crossing points (BCP) on the Tajik-Kyrgyz border still remain closed.
Of those five border crossings, three are located in Sughd province, one in Murgab district (Gorno Badakhshan), and one in Jirgatol district (Rasht Valley). Two of these BCPs reportedly have the status of bilateral crossings and three others have the status of international crossings.
Kyrgyz authorities unilaterally closed the BCPs on January 11 following an exchange of gunfire, which left five Kyrgyz border guards and a policeman plus two Tajik border guards hospitalized.
A source in the Tajik government says that during border talks that took place in Batken (Kyrgyzstan) on January 13, the Tajik sides asked to reopen the BCPs as soon as possible.
“Besides, Tajikistan yesterday offered to hold a high-level working meeting on border affairs on January 24 or 25,” the source said.
“The meeting is expected to be held in Bishkek or Batken and we hope that the issue of reopening of the crossings on the Tajik-Kyrgyz border will be solved at this meeting,” the source added.
Meanwhile, Russian news agency Itar Tass reports that Kyrgyz Prime Minister Zhantoro Satybaldiyev stated on Thursday that the border crossing points on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border will remain closed until the border incident is settled. Kyrgyz PM said that closure was “to ensure citizens’ safety,” and “to avoid any provocations.”
