Bishkek and Dushanbe have decided on the interstate border
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan began exchanging territories after the delimitation of the common border. By agreement of the parties, the Kyrgyz village of Dostuk, located in the Batken region of Kyrgyzstan, is transferred to Tajikistan. The Kyrgyz who lived in the village are being resettled. The Kyrgyz authorities offer them new housing and land in another Kyrgyz village or monetary compensation. However, not everyone is satisfied with this: the first meeting of government representatives with residents of the village of Dostuk turned into a scandal: the official’s rude communication with the local population caused a wide public outcry and a reprimand from the President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov. There are no scandals related to the border division in Tajikistan.
Bishkek and Dushanbe agreed on the border and finally aligned and marked it, exchanging territories. As a result, the Kyrgyz village of Dostuk will have to become Tajik, and Kyrgyz residents will have to move to another locality in their country. In Tajikistan, the Vorukh enclave, which previously found itself at the center of scandals among the border populations of the two countries, remains Tajik by agreement. But the road passing through this place, over which the Tajiks and Kyrgyz living nearby quarreled, received the status of public use by agreement of the parties. And this does not suit the Kyrgyz.
The day before, the Plenipotentiary representative of the President of Kyrgyzstan in the Batken region, Aibek Shamenov, met with residents of the village of Dostuk to discuss the proposed options. However, not everyone agreed to them. The government, in particular, proposed to relocate the villagers to neighboring lands located near the Batken regional center. Each family has a house and a plot of five acres. Another five acres of land is allocated for household needs. After heated discussions and remarks by the president, the local authorities adjusted their proposal, increasing the land allocated for construction and agriculture to 30 acres per family. A total of 71 houses will be built.
According to the agreement between Bishkek and Dushanbe, the territory of Dostuk village (formerly Kara-Bak) of Batken region will be transferred to Tajikistan. In exchange, Kyrgyzstan will receive 91 hectares of land (the area of Dostuk village), as well as 30 hectares as compensation for the village’s infrastructure. The state has committed to provide the residents of Dostuk village with houses and land plots in another area.
Kamchibek Tashiev, Chairman of the State Committee for National Security (SCNS), said in late February that Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan had put an end to border disputes, emphasizing mutual concessions as a guarantee of peace and stability. However, the agreement provoked a mixed reaction in Kyrgyzstan. The issue of access to the Tajik enclave of Vorukh became a stumbling block: after difficult negotiations, significant territories were ceded to Tajikistan, compensated by Kyrgyzstan with pasture lands. The bridge in the Tort-Kocho area, strategically important for Kyrgyzstan, which eventually remained with this country, also became controversial. Finally, the Cake-Kocho section will receive a neutral status, with safety lanes of 15 m on each side and a 40-meter neutral zone for road sharing.
Political analyst Asilbek Egemberdiev told NG: “Tajiks, experiencing significant economic difficulties, actively cross the border for work, trade and smuggling, using their convenient geographical location and low prices in Kyrgyzstan. This creates competition and exacerbates the already tense situation, which is also caused by the shortage of water and land for agriculture in Tajikistan.”
At the same time, according to him, residents of the border regions of Kyrgyzstan are migrating to large cities and Russia, leaving empty villages. Thus, the border problem will only worsen, provoking conflicts. “The solution lies in an integrated approach: the state must improve the lives of the people of both countries through effective domestic policies, job creation and cultural exchange,” the expert believes. In his opinion, the Kyrgyz authorities have postponed the conflicts on the border for 5-10 years.
Alexander Kobrinsky, Director of the Agency for Ethnonational Strategies, expressed concern about the lack of open information about the results of the delimitation of the Kyrgyz-Tajik border. “The secrecy surrounding the agreement causes distrust. The lack of official information about territorial changes generates rumors and assumptions,” Kobrinsky said in an interview with NG.
The expert stressed the need to publicly disclose the details of the agreement in order to calm the population and prevent further conflicts. The fact is that the experience of transferring the Kyrgyz enclave of Barak to Uzbekistan, where Kyrgyzstan suffered heavy losses, raises suspicions about a possible interest in the negotiation process with Tajikistan. “The secrecy of the terms of the agreement, according to the expert, indicates the presence of a losing side, which, apparently, is Kyrgyzstan,” Kobrinsky believes.
According to Kobrinsky, the Kyrgyz authorities have demonstrated a lack of diplomatic skill by failing to fully protect national interests when concluding an agreement on the border. “The persecution of opponents who express criticism on this issue indicates the presence of illegal actions during the conclusion of the agreement. Attempts to convince the population of the advantage of the deal contrast with repressive measures, which undoubtedly threatens serious negative consequences,” the expert concluded.
However, it should be emphasized that President Sadyr Japarov, in an interview with the Kabar state news agency, stated that Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan did not pursue any strategic goals when exchanging land. Only those areas where there were constant conflicts were changed. According to him, these territories are either enclaves or are staggered along the border. “The border is defined forever. That’s it, the point has been made, the interests of both sides have been taken into account,” the Kyrgyz leader said.
The length of the state border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan is approximately 980 km. Since December 2002, at the initiative of the President of the Russian Federation, negotiations began on delimitation, that is, on the precise definition and mapping of the border. The parties refused to help Russia, promising to negotiate without intermediaries. The signing of the border agreement is likely to take place on March 31 in Khujand during the summit of the leaders of the three states – Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.