WNAM MONITORING: Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have reached a historic agreement on the delimitation and demarcation of their shared border, potentially ending a century-long territorial dispute, a top Tajik official said on Friday.
Saimumin Yatimov, head of Tajikistan’s State Committee for National Security, hailed the development as a major breakthrough, crediting the leadership of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov for facilitating the agreement.
“After long, difficult, but ultimately effective work, documents on water-energy and road-transport infrastructure have been prepared and initialed. The most important historical document that was initialed on Feb. 21 is the agreement on delimitation and demarcation of the Kyrgyz-Tajik border,” Yatimov said.
He emphasized that the finalized documents will be submitted to the highest authorities of both nations for official approval and signing.
“If they are legalized, it will bring an end to the 100-year dispute between the two fraternal countries concerning the border issue. These historical documents, once signed by the heads of state, will serve the historical aspirations of our peoples. They will serve the political, social, cultural, economic, and other interests,” Yatimov added.
The agreement marks a significant step towards easing long-standing tensions between the two Central Asian neighbors, which have experienced sporadic border clashes over the years.
The Kyrgyz-Tajik border, stretching over 970 kilometers (600 miles), has been a point of contention since the collapse of the Soviet Union, with numerous disputes over land and access to resources fueling conflicts in border communities.
