ASTANA – President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov and President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon signed a landmark agreement on the state border on March 13 during Rahmon’s official visit to the Kyrgyz Republic, reported the Kyrgyz Presidential Administration’s press service.
Sadyr Japarov and Emomali Rahmon. Photo credit: Kyrgyz Presidential Administration
The countries agreed to reopen the border, which had been closed since May 2021 following an armed conflict. Both presidents participated online in a ceremony to reopen the Kairagach and Kyzyl-Bel checkpoints.
The nearly 980-kilometer Kyrgyz-Tajik border has long been a source of tension. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, dozens of disputed sections have remained unresolved. Negotiations on delimitation, which involves defining and mapping the border, began in December 2002.
The absence of a clear border led to multiple conflicts between local residents and military personnel, sometimes escalating to the use of firearms. Last month, both sides reached an agreement to exchange several disputed plots.
The signing of the final protocol on the delimitation of the Kyrgyz-Tajik border took place on Feb. 21. Also, the Presidents of the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan are expected to convene on March 31 for their first trilateral summit that will mark a new chapter in cooperation.
