It is necessary to solve the border issues as soon as possible, says Tajik parliament speaker

In the course of the talks, Shukurjon Zuhurov pointed to the necessity of solving the border issues as soon as possible.

“It is necessary to solve the border issues as soon as possible because further expansion of bilateral cooperation depends on this,” said Tajik parliament speaker, according to Kyrgyz parliament’s press center.   

For his part, Jogorku Kenesh head reportedly expressed hope that working groups of the interstate commission will find ground on demarcation and delimitation of the disputed section of the border.    

Recall, the latest incident on the Tajik-Kyrgyz border occurred on September 16 in an area adjacent to the Tajik settlement of Ovchi-Qalacha, not far from the northern Tajik city of Khujand, and the Kyrgyz village of Maksat.  Troops on both sides exchanged gunfire in a confrontation that left at least four dead and dozens injured.       

The shoot-out broke in evening following a dispute over construction at a non-demarcated section of the border and both sides blamed each other for starting the shooting.  The clash reportedly stopped at 9:30 pm and officials were taking measures to prevent further escalation.

Two-and-a-half hour’s negotiations between Tajik and Kyrgyz delegations on border issues that took place in Ovchi-Qalacha yesterday morning reportedly led to some preliminary breakthroughs.  The Kyrgyz side pledged to pull down a lookout tower built in a location near where fighting occurred and the Tajik side said it will not build a lookout tower near the same spot.  Both sides reportedly agreed to withdraw military reinforcements from the flashpoint by 6:00 pm of September 18.  

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.

Meanwhile, media reports say the Fourth Meeting of Speakers of Eurasian Countries’ Parliaments themed “Greater Eurasia: Dialogue, Trust and Partnership” attracted 84 speakers of European and Asian parliaments and chairmen of 16 international organizations.  The meeting reportedly provided a platform for a direct, multilateral dialogue between speakers of European and Asian parliaments and leaders of international organizations to identify main trends of socio-development, and create a common ground for cooperation through cultural and human relations and parliamentary interaction.