Tokayev urges peaceful resolution of border conflicts in Central Asia
Astana, Oct 14 (EFE).- Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Friday urged Central Asian countries to resolve border disputes over unresolved delimitations, as is the case with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, only by peaceful means, as sporadic clashes are “destabilizing”.
A “destabilizing factor is the unresolved issue of borders between individual countries in the region,” Tokayev said during the first Russia-Central Asia summit being held in the Kazakh capital.
“The solution of the border problem should take place exclusively by peaceful means in the spirit of friendship, trust and good-neighborliness, as well as strict observance of the fundamental principles of international law and the UN Charter,” the head of state stressed.
The Kazakh leader considered that it would be useful to create a regional platform of experts to address this issue.
The most recent border conflict took place in September between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in which about 100 people were killed.
It was the most serious armed incident in recent years and followed clashes in April 2021, when as many as 43 people died.
The recurrent conflicts in the area are due to the fact that of the 980 kilometers of border shared by these two former Soviet republics in Central Asia only about 580 have been demarcated.
The Fergana Valley shared by Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan has also been the scene of recurrent conflicts, mainly between the Kyrgyz and Uzbeks over control of water resources.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with the presidents of Kyrgyzstan, Sadyr Japarov, and Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, in Astana on Thursday to defuse tensions and mediate between the two countries.
Japarov said Kyrgyzstan intends to finalize the border demarcation as soon as possible, the official Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported.
On Friday at the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) summit held hours before the Russia-Central Asia summit, the Kyrgyz leader urged the nine former Soviet countries participating in the alliance to respect the territorial integrity of member states. EFE
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