Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov has promised to submit the draft agreement with Tajikistan on delineation of the disputed segments of the Kyrgyz-Tajik border to Jokorgu Kenesh (Kyrgyzstan’s parliament) until the New Year, 24.kg says.
“God willing, we will resolve the border problems with Tajikistan. If there are no obstacles, we will finish by the New Year. We must live with the four countries, with which we border, in harmony and friendship. No civilian, no soldier should be killed. We have to think about this first,” Japarov said yesterday.
“…After the resolution of the border issue and ratification, peace will be established not only in our country but also in all of Central Asia,” Japarov was cited as saying by 24.kg.
It is to be noted that Kyrgyz MPs on November 17 considered an agreement with Uzbekistan on delineation of separate segments of the mutual border and joint management of the Kempir-Abad reservoir.
Sadyr Japarov attended the session and after the vote, he thanked the parliamentarians. He noted that parliamentarians “put an end by taking responsibility and voting for the agreement.”
The border between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan is about 970 kilometers long and runs from the tripoint with Uzbekistan to the tripoint with China.
As far as Tajikistan’s common border with Kyrgyzstan is concerned, it has been the scene of unrest repeatedly since the collapse of the Soviet Union. It has been difficult to demarcate the Tajik-Kyrgyz border because over the course of some 100 years Soviet mapmakers drew and redrew the border, incorporating land that had traditionally belonged to one people in the territory of the other Soviet republic. Exclaves appeared and temporary land use agreements were signed.
All of this survived the collapse of the Soviet Union and people in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have various Soviet-era maps they use to justify their claim to specific areas along the border.
Border talks between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan began in 2002. The border delineation problem has led to conflicts between rival ethnic communities.
To-date, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan have held more than 170 meetings and negotiations on delimitation and demarcation of the common border.
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov said in an exclusive interview with Kabar news agency on April 25 that “the parties have agreed on 600 kilometers [of the mutual border] and they have another 300 kilometers left to delimit and demarcate.”
