Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan reach agreement on border dispute

The Kyrgyz government announced Sunday an agreement with Tajik authorities to end the border conflict that includes the dismantling of a total of eight checkpoints, four for each country.

“I hope that all the points of the protocol signed will be implemented. Peace and agreement will come to the Kyrgyz and Tajik soil,” the chairman of the Kyrgyz National Security Council, Kamchibek Tashiev, has said in statements to the AKIPress news agency.

The agreement will allow the residents of Batken and Leilek districts to return to their homes, Tashiev explained. For this purpose, the Ministry of Emergency Situations will provide means of transportation.

“We are going to organize everything. I can guarantee you that from today the borders will be kept in peace,” Tashiev stressed.

The protocol has been signed by the chairmen of the national security commissions of the two countries with the main objective of the cessation of hostilities, tackling the causes of the conflict and preventing its recurrence in the future. According to the agreement, there will be no military or civilian presence in the designated areas.

In addition, both sides have agreed to accelerate the work of the border demarcation commission “to resolve outstanding issues,” Tashiev explained.

The armed conflict between the two countries started last September 14 and has resulted in the death of 62 people on the Kyrgyz side and 46 on the Tajik side. In addition 140,000 Kyrgyz had to flee their homes.