DUSHANBE, February 7, 2013, Asia-Plus – Joint working groups of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan that have been working in disputed areas on the Isfara stretch of the Tajik-Kyrgyz border since February 5 plan to complete a joint investigation into a January 11 border incident on February 10, one of members of the Tajik delegation told Asia-Plus Friday afternoon.
According to him, the sides have agreed that the preliminary findings of the investigation will not be made public.
“The groups are currently working to establish who opened fire first. For this, we are questioning border guards of both countries, local residents and casual observers,” the source added.
Meanwhile, Sughd chief prosecutor Sharif Qurbonov has stated that according to findings of inspection of the incident side, the shootout took place in the area that is recognized by Kyrgyzstan as Tajik territory. “This fact is indisputable,” the prosecutor stressed.
We will recall that three working groups have been set up: 1) the group for military and border issues; 2) the group for the border demarcation and delimitation issues; and 3) the group for use of border roads.
On the Tajik side, the group for military and border issues is co-chaired by Sherali Khairulloyev, Aide to the President of Tajikistan for Security Affairs, the group for the border demarcation and delimitation issues is co-chaired by Mahmadtohir Zokirov, Chairman of the State Committee on Land Management and Geodesy, and the group for use of border roads is co-chaired by Khairullo Asoyev, Minister of Transport.
The working groups came to a discussion of the mentioned issues in Isfara on February 5.
As it had been reported earlier, Tajik Prime Minister Murodali Alimardon and his Kyrgyz counterpart, Tokon Mamytov, agreed in Bishkek on January 31 that the two countries” working groups on border delimitation must expedite their activities.
Five Kyrgyz border guards, one Kyrgyz policeman, and two Tajik border guards were hospitalized with injuries on January 11 after tensions escalated into exchanges of gunfire along the Kyrgyz-Tajik border. The clash started when Tajiks protested Kyrgyzstan’s construction of a bypass road through a disputed area. Tajikistan has requested to halt the construction of the road until the border is delimited.
