Kyrgyzstan International Affairs - The Times Of Central Asia

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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.

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.

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.

Consulate General of Uzbekistan Officially Inaugurated in Osh

The Consulate General of Uzbekistan celebrated its official inauguration in Osh city, fostering economic, cultural, and humanitarian ties and offering support to Uzbek citizens in the region. The ceremony drew notable figures like Vice Mayor Nurbek Kadyrov, Presidential Representative Elchibek Zhantaev, and Ambassador Khurshid Mirzakhidov, emphasizing the consulate's role in advancing cooperation. Zafarbek Akhmedov, a seasoned diplomat previously overseeing the Consular and Legal Department at Uzbekistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, heads this mission at 54 years old. Established in 2022, the consulate, led by Akhmedov, serves Batken, Jalal-Abad, and Osh regions in Kyrgyzstan.

Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan Demarcate More Than 90% of Border

Following a meeting between government delegations, Chairmen of the National Security Committee of Kyrgyzstan, Kamchybek Tashiyev, and Tajikistan, Saimumin Yatimov, released a statement announcing that over 90% of the border between the two countries has now been agreed upon. “As a result of the work of the intergovernmental commission, agreements were reached on the harmonization of most of the state border - more than 90%,” Tashiyev said. “Work on the remaining sections will be completed soon, starting with Kayragach, Kulundu, Maksat, Arka, Arka-1, Arka-2, Zhany-Zher and up to Zhiydelik. The Working Group has fully completed the coordination. At the moment, we have almost completed work on the disputed areas about which there were questions." According to Tashiyev, several more meetings will be necessary to complete the demarcation and delimitation of the state border. In turn, Yatimov noted that vital issues were discussed at the meeting of the delegations. “There is a common interest, common goals, and common causes between the two states,” he said. “This is the security and socio-economic development of our states. A lot of work has been done today - we have advanced more than 120 kilometers, and have agreed on these issues in principle. If we take the total length of the state border between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, Kamchybek Kydyrshayevich and I can confirm that over 90% of the state border has been agreed. We are really close to solving these issues.”

Korea Helps Build Firefighting Station in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan

On December 8th, a landmark ceremony was held in the city of Cholpon-Ata to mark the successful completion of the construction of a fire and rescue station built by cooperation between the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Government of the Republic of Korea, the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the UNDP website stated. The Plenipotentiary Representative of the Kyrgyz President in the Issyk-Kul region, the Minister of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Korea to the Kyrgyz Republic, KOICA Country Director, and the UNDP Resident Representative attended the ceremony. This construction is part of a broader initiative to construct four fire and rescue stations across Kyrgyzstan, with the other three to be in Bishkek, Osh, and Suzak (Jalal-Abad region). The collaboration aims not only to bolster the Kyrgyz Republic's disaster management capabilities with the supply of modern firefighting equipment and machinery, and to enhance the overall quality of firefighting services. Along with technical assistance, the UNDP improved the working conditions of firefighters, mainstreamed gender equality, expanded universal access to fire services, and ensured adherence to sustainable development principles. Boobek Azhikeev, the Minister of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic, noted the project's timeliness, given the annual increase in the number of fires. “Major fires around the world, which have claimed many lives and turned mountain forests into ash, are once again calling for firefighters and rescuer services in Kyrgyzstan to strengthen their efforts,” he said. “As part of our cooperation, we have successfully implemented the initial stages of a grant project to increase the capacity of the fire and rescue service with a total amount of $8 million.” The Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Kyrgyz Republic, Mr. Lee Won-jae stated that “since establishing diplomatic relations in 1992, Korea and Kyrgyzstan have expanded cooperation in various fields, and we hope that exchanges and cooperation between the two countries will expand and deepen in the future. The Korean government plans to continue to strengthen development cooperation to assist Kyrgyzstan's socioeconomic development and improve the quality of life of its people.” Ms. Alexandra Solovieva, the UNDP Resident Representative, emphasized the importance of disaster risk reduction and climate emergency response. “We joined hands to expand access to more than 400,000 people to receive timely assistance in case of emergencies,” she stated. “We worked to reduce incident response times by providing modern equipment and technology that play a key role in saving the lives of people in the Issyk-Kul region.” While the Cholpon-Ata fire and rescue station is now operational, construction in Bishkek, Osh, and Suzak is progressing and is expected to be completed by next year.