On Wednesday March 11, Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov met with residents of Leilek district and Sulukta town as part of his working visit to Batken oblast, according to Kyrgyz president’s press service.
The meeting reportedly focused on ways of seeking solution to the Kyrgyz-Tajik border problems.
Jeenbekov, in particular, noted that border talks with the Tajik side had been resumed and both sides “are configured for constructive dialogue.”
“All steps undertake to solve the border problems must take the opinion of local population into consideration. Of course, the negotiation process takes time and cannot be completed in a short time. Therefore, not only wisdom but also endurance is required of us,” the Kyrgyz president stressed.
According to him, there are three ways to resolve the border issues. “The first one – let events take their course. The second choice is the method based on the use of force, when both sides don’t compromise and resolve this issue militantly. The third choice is based on resolving the issue through negotiations,” Jeenbekov noted.
He called on Kyrgyz not to fall into the trap of provocation of various forces wanting to destabilize the situation and having nothing to do with Batken oblast. .
Many border areas in Central Asia have been disputed since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The situation is particularly complicated near the numerous exclaves in the Ferghana Valley, where the borders of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan meet.
The border of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan has been the scene of unrest repeatedly since the collapse of the former Soviet Union. The countries share 971 kilometers of border – of which only 504 kilometers
The latest incident along the Tajik-Kyrgyz border took place on the night of January 9-10. As usual, both sides blamed each other for the incident
Last year alone, there were at least fourteen cases of violence, in which six Tajik nationals and one Kyrgyz citizen were killed and more than 60 other people were injured.
