Border disputes - The Times Of Central Asia

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A Resolution to Kyrgyzstan’s Last Border Problem?

In April, Kyrgyzstan signed a border delimitation agreement with southern neighbor Tajikistan, ending a long-running and at times violent feud along the two countries’ frontier. Now Kyrgyzstan is taking steps to resolve its border disagreements with its northern neighbor Kazakhstan. The Joint Project Representatives from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan met in Bishkek on May 22 to discuss the impending construction of an industrial transport-logistics complex on their border. Kazakhstan is building similar complexes along its borders with other neighboring countries (China, Russia, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan). The idea for the Kazakh-Kyrgyz facility was approved in May 2024, and work is scheduled to start next year. Economically, it is not a huge project, but symbolically, it could be a breakthrough ending years of aggravation connected to the country’s border crossings. The aim of the complex is “to jointly produce, store and sell medicines, textiles, as well as dairy, meat, and vegetable products.” In itself, the venture is laudable, but the location of the complex is what is interesting. This trade and logistics complex will occupy 3.6 square kilometers of territory in Kazakhstan and 4 square kilometers in Kyrgyzstan at a place not far from the Ak-Tilek (Kyrgyzstan) - Karasu (Kazakhstan) border crossing. Kyrgyzstan’s Ak-Tilek and the other four border crossings with Kazakhstan have been in the news for more than seven years due to long lines of trucks on the Kyrgyz side waiting to cross into Kazakhstan. This has become a sore point in what have usually been good relations between the two countries. The Legacy of Almazbek Atambayev Ever since the Soviet Union disintegrated in late 1991 and the five Central Asian states became independent, relations between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have been the best among any two states in Central Asia. This was evident along their border, which compared to the others among the Central Asian states remained lightly guarded and relatively easy to cross. That changed in autumn 2017, due to an incident that was unrelated to the actual Kazakh-Kyrgyz border. Kyrgyzstan was preparing for a presidential election scheduled for October 15, 2017. The president at the time, Almazbek Atambayev, was leaving office, in accordance with the country’s constitution that permitted a president only a single term. Atambayev had picked a successor, Sooronbai Jeenbekov. The leading opponent was popular businessman Omurbek Babanov, who was polling ahead of Jeenbekov in the run-up to the election. In mid-September, Babanov visited Kazakhstan and met with then-President Nursultan Nazarbayev. Atambayev was furious. On October 7, he said that the “Kazakh authorities want to force their candidate on us.” Atambayev criticized the way Kazakhstan spent revenue, hinting that average Kazakh citizens did not seem to enjoy the fruits of the vast wealth of the country. On October 10, without warning, Kazakhstan closed its crossing points to traffic from Kyrgyzstan. Later, Kazakhstan’s security service said the restrictions were part of a planned border operation and claimed to have registered 112 violations in less than 48 hours. As the line of trucks grew on the Kyrgyz side of...

Kyrgyz-Tajik Border borders Border disputes

Kyrgyz-Tajik Villages to Be Relocated as Part of Border Resolution

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov recently spoke with the Kabar news agency about progress in resolving the Kyrgyz-Tajik border dispute. He also addressed plans for the relocation of villages and homes situated in the checkerboard-like border areas. Progress Toward Resolution Japarov provided an update on the status of negotiations, commenting: “The border issue is almost resolved. Right now, both sides are working on documenting the agreement. After this, the intergovernmental commissions will sign the documents, followed by the foreign ministers. Then, the parliaments of both countries will ratify the agreement. Finally, the presidents of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan will sign it, and the process will conclude with an exchange of notes.” Japarov noted, however, that the process would take time to finalize. “It will take another 1-2 years to carry out demarcation work before the issue is fully settled. The most important thing is that we have reached a bilateral agreement,” he said. Addressing Checkerboard Villages When asked about the fairness of the border resolution, Japarov highlighted the balanced nature of the agreement: “In border disputes, it’s impossible to consider only one side’s interests. Decisions are made by considering the needs of both countries. For instance, some disputed sections of the border were split equally. In cases where houses were mixed, like in checkerboard villages, we resolved these issues too.” To address these mixed-border settlements, Japarov explained that families whose homes fall on the other side of the border will be relocated. Tajik families residing on Kyrgyz land will be moved by Tajikistan, and Kyrgyz families on Tajik land will be relocated by Kyrgyzstan. “We will build new homes for them elsewhere, considering the size of their land,” Japarov assured. Peaceful Resolution a Priority Japarov emphasized the importance of resolving the dispute through peaceful and cooperative means. He underscored that resolving border issues would improve border management, avoid future tensions, and build trust between the two nations. Once the demarcation process began, Japarov promised full transparency and regular updates for the public. Historical Context Tensions along the Kyrgyz-Tajik border have been ongoing for decades, with significant disputes intensifying in the late 2000s and early 2010s. In these areas, infrastructure complications have exacerbated the problem. Both countries began constructing alternate roads to avoid crossing into each other’s territory, but rugged terrain and limited financial resources have slowed progress. One of the most challenging areas is the road connecting Batken to the Kyrgyz village of Ak-Sai and the Tajik enclave of Vorukh. This road weaves through Kyrgyz and Tajik territory several times, and in some sections, the road itself serves as the border.

Construction Bilateral Relations Infrastructure Development Border disputes

Kyrgyzstan Opens New Village for People Resettled from Barak Exclave

On November 15, Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov attended the opening of a new village, Jany-Barak, in the country’s southern Osh region. The village was constructed for Kyrgyz citizens resettled from the Barak exclave, previously Kyrgyzstan’s largest exclave, located in Uzbekistan’s Andijan region. For many years, the residents of the exclave experienced severe difficulties due to their partial isolation and the difficulty of traveling between the exclave and the Kyrgyz mainland. After signing a border delimitation agreement with Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan ceded a portion of its land to Kyrgyzstan in exchange for control of the Barak exclave. Construction of Jany-Barak (New Barak) was launched in May 2024 and is now complete. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Japarov emphasized that the construction of the new village marked a significant milestone. He highlighted that residents, who had relocated from the exclave, can now live and work in Kyrgyzstan, on their native land, in new homes, with renewed confidence in their future. Japarov highlighted the extensive work completed to establish infrastructure in the new village: 101 residential houses have been built, roads have been laid, electricity has been connected, and wells for clean drinking water have been drilled. The new village will have social amenities, including a school, a kindergarten, a park, a mosque, and a football (soccer) field. Plots have been allocated to residents for agricultural use.

International Cooperation Border disputes negotiations Kyrgyz-Tajik Border Government

Tajikistan-Kyrgyzstan Border Demarcation Completed

Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan have completed negotiations to demarcate their common border, which had been disputed for many years. The final meeting of the two countries' topographic-legal working groups was completed in the town of Batken in Kyrgyzstan on August 11-17. This has been reported by the State Committee for National Security of Tajikistan. "During this meeting, the parties continued the discussion and exchanged proposals on the description of the passage of the Tajik-Kyrgyz state border line in the remaining sections," the Committee commented. At the end of June, The Times of Central Asia reported that 94% of the borderline between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan had been fully delineated. The conflict was caused by uncertainties regarding the exact demarcation of the border between the two republics, which spans some 980 kilometers. With its scant natural resources and dwindling water supplies, the border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan has been the scene of numerous armed conflicts. This situation arose after the collapse of the USSR – the parties could not agree on the ownership of dozens of disputed territories. The borderless areas have become a zone of conflict between the local population and the border troops of the other country. The last major conflict took place on September 16, 2022, as a result of which hundreds of people were killed and injured on both sides. Huge material damage was caused to the infrastructure of the border areas of the regions of Sogd (Tajikistan) and Batken (Kyrgyzstan).

Border disputes Legislation Security

Demarcation of the Tajikistan-Kyrgyzstan Border Nears Completion

As reported by Asia-Plus, on July 26, the governor of the Sughd region in Tajikistan, Rajabboy Ahmadzade, announced that the state border between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, which has been closed for three years, is expected to open soon. The commission for delineating the border between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan has been in progress since 2022 but as stated by Ahmadzade, “To date, 94% of the border line has been fully delineated. We believe that everything will be resolved positively shortly." The minister advised that on July 21-24, representatives of the Ministry of Transport of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan visited the disputed areas and Tajik towns of Chorkukh and Vorukh. He did not disclose the location of the remaining 6% of disputed territories, but added that the commission would meet again from August 11 - 17 in Botken, Kyrgyzstan. The armed border between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan was closed after clashes on 14-17 September 2021. A year later, officials and representatives of both countries' border commission met in Sughd to discuss means of resolving the issue. The conflict was caused by uncertainties regarding the exact demarcation of the border between the two republics which spans some 980 kilometers. 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. Trouble spilled over again throughout 2021 and 2022, reportedly starting over a water dispute in the Vorukh enclave, and leaving an unknown number in the hundreds killed, and up to 136,000 people evacuated. In September 2022, another shooting took place on the border between the two countries.

Economic Cooperation Border disputes Security

Border Dispute No More: Are Bishkek and Dushanbe Ready to Make Peace?

Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have long been restless neighbors from Tashkent and Astana's point of view. In many respects, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan forced the current rapprochement of the Central Asian republics, as expressed on the outer perimeter in the C5+1 format, where the region strives to put forward a consolidated position. After all, investment does not come to problematic areas. The problem border The main sticking point in relations between Bishkek and Dushanbe stretches for almost a thousand kilometers - the border between the two states - the demarcation of which, following the collapse of the USSR, neither the government of Kyrgyzstan or Tajikistan was concerned about. There were enough problems to deal with: falling living standards, civil war in Tajikistan, and endless revolutions in Kyrgyzstan. To date, the border has still not been fully demarcated, causing problems for residents of both states over access to water, pastures, and roads. Disputed territories accounted for about 30% of the border between the two countries. The first alarm bells sounded back in 2014 - in January and May of that year there were armed incidents on the border between northern Tajikistan's in Sughd Province and Kyrgyzstan's Batken Province. Tajiks and Kyrgyz have lived compactly in this densely populated area for centuries. Tajik villages neighbor Kyrgyz villages, there are exclaves such as Vorukh, and the border can crisscross roads, presenting difficulties for traveling. "In Soviet times, people moved around quietly when the borders were conditional. Residents on both sides had free access to pastures and arable land. There were no problems along the watershed. If lands were given by the republics to each other for some purpose, local authorities knew where and whose land was located. With the collapse of the Union, the whole system ceased to function. And the problems of open unmarked borders became more acute," political observer Negmatullo Mirsaidov explained in a commentary for the BBC Russian Service after the January 2014 clash. Time passed, but the situation did not change, and a new aggravation occurred in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, clashes were repeated with depressing regularity, and in 2022 came a military incursion by Tajik soldiers into a Kyrgyz border village with the seizure of administrative buildings. Armed clashes broke out all along the border and Russia intervened, forcing the parties to negotiate. Central Asia then picked up the baton, trying to melt the ice of hostility between the skirmishing neighbors. In early February, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon met with Kyrgyz Foreign Minister, Zheenbek Kulubaev, in Dushanbe. According to the press service of the head of Tajikistan, "Over the past four months, the parties have agreed on the design and working description of about 196 kilometers of the state border and to date have determined about 90% of the line of its passage." Considering that the Tajik-Kyrgyz border is about 980 kilometers long, about 100 kilometers remain to be agreed upon. Before the clash in 2022, more than 300 kilometers of the border were considered disputed....