Kyrgyzstan International Affairs - The Times Of Central Asia

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Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan continue to work on harmonizing state border

Topographic working groups of the two countries gathered in the city of Batken in the Batken region of Kyrgyzstan between January 10 and January 16, and agreed on another major 38.35-kilometer section their state borders, the press service of the Kyrgyzstan Cabinet of Ministers reports. "In accordance with the agreement reached in the period from January 10 to 16, 2024 in the city of Batken of Batken oblast of the Kyrgyz Republic held a meeting of topographic working groups and working groups on legal issues of the government delegations of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Republic of Tajikistan on delimitation and demarcation of the Kyrgyz-Tajik state border," reported Cabinet of Kyrgyzstan on its website. The Kyrgyz authorities note that the meeting was held in an atmosphere of friendship and mutual understanding, and a protocol was signed following the meeting. The parties will continue work on the description of the remaining areas at the next meeting, which will be held in Tajikistan. The previous meeting was also held on the territory of Tajikistan from December 17 to 23, 2023. At that time, almost 12 kilometers of the state border were agreed upon. It should be noted that as of today, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have agreed on 90 percent of the territories of the state border, the total of which is 975 kilometers. Next year, the authorities of both countries plan to finalize the delimitation. Issues related to delineating a common border between the two countries arose after the collapse of the USSR, particularly with regards to lands rich in water resources, given that irrigation of agricultural lands and private plots is critical in this arid region. More than 30 years have passed since the collapse of USSR, and the parties still have not agreed on the disputed territories. This has caused periodic conflicts between the citizens of border villages and residents of enclaves and border guards of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, including the use of heavy weapons. The last such conflict took place on the territory of Batken oblast of Kyrgyzstan and Sughd oblast of Tajikistan in September 2022, where hundreds died deaths on both sides and civilian infrastructure was destroyed. Since May 2021, land and air communication between the countries remains closed. The presidents of the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan have repeatedly discussed the delimitation and demarcation of the state border, and have decided to put an end to this ongoing issue after the above-mentioned most recent conflict. Since then, meetings of topographic groups have been held on a regular basis. The situation on the disputed territories is also monitored by the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). Both countries are members of the CSTO.

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EU Ready to Deepen Cooperation with Kyrgyzstan

On January 15th, the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Sadyr Japarov received the Vice-President of the European Commission, Margaritis Schinas in Bishkek. During the meeting, President Japarov noted the dynamically developing level of cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and the EU both at the inter-regional and bilateral levels, the presidential press service reported. The head of state and the vice-president of the European Commission discussed a wide range of issues, including priority projects for the Kyrgyz Republic, investment, financing, prospects for banking relations, and regional security issues. Japarov paid particularly attention to the importance for Kyrgyzstan of the upcoming Investors Forum for EU-Central Asia Transport Connectivity, which will be held in Brussels on January 29th and 30th. Discussing human rights in Kyrgyzstan, Japarov spoke of an active civil society, media freedom and unrestricted access to the internet, emphasizing the importance of reliable information in online space. In turn, Schinas spoke about the importance of positive changes in Central Asia and expressed the EU’s readiness to deepen cooperation with the Kyrgyz Republic. Schinas expressed confidence that cooperation will be strengthened in the field of financial and economic partnerships, adding that his visit was focused on climate projects, digitization issues, and the development of transport corridors. In June 2023, the first official visit of the President of the European Council, Charles Michel to the Kyrgyz Republic took place, and the first Summit of the leaders of Central Asian countries and the EU was held in the Kyrgyz resort city of Cholpon-Ata.

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President Sends Condolences Following Terrorist Attack in Iran

President Sadyr Japarov has expressed his sincere condolences to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi following the terrorist attack in Kerman, Iran. Japarov emphasized that Kyrgyzstan categorically condemns terrorism in all its manifestations, which threatens general peace and stability. “I received with deep regret the sad news that as a result of the terrorist attack in the city of Kerman, innocent people were killed and injured. On behalf of the Kyrgyz people and on my own behalf, I express my deepest condolences to the families of the victims and the brotherly people of Iran. I share the pain of this irreparable loss. I wish a speedy recovery to all those affected," his telegram stated. As a result of the explosions which occurred during commemorative marches in honor of the fourth anniversary of the death of General Qassem Soleimani, according to the latest media reports 103 people were killed and 211 injured. Two bags containing explosives were placed at the entrance to the Gulzar mausoleum, which were most likely detonated using a remote device. In response to the attack, the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, promised harsh retribution for the perpetrators and organizers. The Iranian Government declared January 4th a National Day of Mourning, and President Raisi postponed a planned visit to Turkey, saying that all those responsible would be found and punished accordingly.

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Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan Agree on Another Border Section

Delegations from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan have conducted more work on the definition and designation of the state border, agreeing on the divination of another 11.88 km at a meeting in Buston held between the 17th and 23rd of December. The two parties also agreed to continue determining the remaining sections oat the next meeting to be held in Kyrgyzstan. A long-standing source of conflict between the two nations, it is emblematic of the problem that even the length of the border - sometimes cited as being 975-kilomtres long, and at others times 972-kilomteres - is rarely agreed upon. In January 2023, Tajikistan’s President Rahmon stated that 614-kilometres have been agreed upon, backtracking on a previously stated figure of 664. With its scant natural resources and dwindling water supplies, the border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan has been the scene of numerous skirmishes for many years. In 2014, all borders between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan were closed indefinitely to Kyrgyz and Tajik citizens following clashes over a bypass road in disputed territory; mortars were fired and both armies suffered casualties. In 2021 and 2022, troubles flared up again. Several hundred kilometers of the border have not yet been defined. This situation developed after the collapse of the USSR, leaving the parties unable to agree on dozens of disputed areas. The non-delimited territories become a conflict zone between the local population, and the border guards of the two countries became involved. The last major conflict occurred on September 16th 2022, as a result of which hundreds of people were killed and injured on both sides, and massive damage was caused to the infrastructure in Sughd and Batken. The Presidents of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, Emomali Rahmon and Sadyr Japarov, have repeatedly discussed delimitation of the border. The situation in the disputed areas is also closely monitored by the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). In recent years, the authorities of the two countries have been actively negotiating to resolve this issue. Meetings have been held alternately on the territory of the two republics. Currently, more than 90%, or about 885 km of the border has been mutually recognized by States.

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EEU Leaders Seek to Strengthen Position of Economic Bloc

A meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council was held in St Petersburg on December 25th. The meeting was attended by leaders of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) member countries - the Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kyrgyzstan, Sadyr Japarov, and President of Russia, Vladimir Putin. Opening the meeting, Russian President Putin said that the Eurasian Economic Union will soon be ten years old, and over this period, the mutual trade between its member countries has almost doubled and the aggregate GDP of the EEU countries has grown from US$1.6 trillion to US$2.5 trillion. “We have created deep common markets for goods, services, capital, and workforce, which are operating in line with agreed-upon rules. The main point is that the Eurasian Union has become an authoritative international integration association with an efficient structure and a good foundation,” he said. Putin added that the work on aligning integration processes within the EEU and China's Belt and Road Initiative is also yielding results. The Council’s meeting adopted the declaration “Eurasian Economic Path,” which is aligned with China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

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Iran Cancels Visa Requirement for Citizens of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan

Iran has lifted visa requirements for visitors from 33 countries, including Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Russia, in an attempt to attract visitors from across the globe and boost its sanctions-hit economy, Iranian news agencies report. Iranian Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, Ezzatollah Zarghami, said the cancellation of the visa requirements was approved in a government meeting last week. “The government intends to open the country's doors to the world,” Zarghami told reporters after a cabinet meeting on December 13th. According to the Ministry of Tourism of Iran, the number of foreign visitors in Iran reached 4.4 million during the first eight months of the current Iranian year, which ends in March 2024, representing a 50%increase compared to the same period last year. The ministry expects six million foreign tourists to visit the country by the end of the year.