Meeting of Jeenbekov and Rahmon on state boundary shows political will – MFA

Bishkek, July 30, 2019. /Kabar/. Ulanbek Dyikanbayev, the Director of the Information Department, the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic during the press briefing told about the results of the meeting of Presidents of Kyrgyzstan Sooronbay Jeenbekov and Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon.

He said on July 26, at the invitation of Rahmon, the Kyrgyz President paid a short-term working visit to the city of Isfara, Tajikistan. The next day the Tajik leader paid a return visit to Kyrgyzstan.

“For the first time, the bilateral meeting of the two countries’ Presidents was held on the state border line. After the talks, the Presidents met with local residents and elders of border villages. Then, the working visits of Kyrgyz President to Isfara and his Tajik counterpart’s to Cholpon-Ata were held, where narrow and extended format meetings took place. The talks were held in an atmosphere of mutual understanding and trust, which resulted in an agreement to continue to maintain an active political dialogue at all levels in order to resolve the issues on the agenda in a timely manner,” Dyikanbayev said.

“The parties were able to discuss a wide range of topical issues of Kyrgyz-Tajik cooperation and work out appropriate actions on them, which are given to the Governments of the two countries as instructions. The heads of state discussed the sides' approaches to the legal framework, which should be a key element in the negotiations on the delimitation of the state border,” he said.

The Foreign Ministry’s representative stressed that the sides managed to find a consensus on the border issue, which was on the agenda. “The meeting of the leaders showed the political will of the Presidents and we are sure that these meetings give a new impetus to the solution of all existing issues,” he said.

Dyikanbayev noted that special working group deals with the delimitation and demarcation of the Kyrgyz-Tajik state border. There are positive dynamics on this issue.

Another conflict on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border occurred on 22 July 2019 at around 5.30 p.m. Residents of the Tajik village of Vorukh in the Isfara district wanted to set up flagpoles at the site bore Aksai inscription. This outraged the citizens of Kyrgyzstan. Both sides started throwing stones at each other. One of the parties used weapons.

As a result, 14 people were injured. Among the victims there are policemen and border guards of the Kyrgyz Republic.