KEY POINTS
- Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan settled a long-standing border dispute.
- The agreement paves the way for stronger regional cooperation.
- Enhanced border controls will ensure compliance with trade regulations.
A boundary delimitation agreement between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan has been finalized by officials, resolving one of the most acrimonious territorial disputes in Central Asia. It is anticipated that the agreement will increase regional collaboration and trade.
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan reach historic border agreement
According to a statement released by the Kyrgyz government on February 21, the border deal was signed during a bilateral meeting in Bishkek, along with agreements on shared water resources, power generation management, and interstate road transit. According to the statement, the talks between the Tajik and Kyrgyz delegates “took place in an atmosphere of friendship and mutual understanding.”
In December, the two parties initially said that they had reached a provisional agreement about the demarcation of their 970-kilometer (603-mile) border. Given that military conflicts in 2021 and 2022 resulted from disputes over land and water in disputed areas, the resolution represents a swift diplomatic change. Both nations were involved in an armaments buildup just eighteen months earlier, which sparked concerns about a new battle.
Regional summit planned to boost cooperation after border pact
According to oilprice, the first trilateral summit of its sort between the presidents of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan is scheduled for late March, Kyrgyz officials said on February 24 in response to the border deal. According to Kyrgyz news agency AKIpress, Kyrgyz Deputy Prime Minister Edil Baisalov stated that the summit would be a significant step in enhancing regional cooperation.
In the meantime, Kyrgyz officials have promised to strengthen border security at Uzbek and Tajikistan crossings. There are now no border restrictions in place at five road crossings between the two nations. The action is intended to comply with the standards of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which call for strict customs enforcement at the union’s external borders. Of the three countries, Kyrgyzstan is the only one that is a full member of the EAEU.
Concerns have been expressed by authorities regarding the absence of traffic surveillance at specific checkpoints, which has resulted in transgressions of international transportation agreements. The planned extension of border monitoring is intended to increase security and conformity with regional norms, according to Uzbek news site Daryo.
