DUSHANBE, September 12, 2009, Asia-Plus – Tajik and Kyrgyz border guards have begun a joint patrol of some parts of the border between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service reported on September 11.

Colonel Saidjon Eratov, a high-level officer in the Kyrgyz border-guard service, told RFE/RL that the joint patrols began on September 4.

Eratov added that the move should help curb illegal border crossings and avoid conflicts between the inhabitants of bordering villages.

In recent years there have been numerous instances of people in Tajik and Kyrgyz bordering villages getting in fights or confrontational situations over land, water, or even for crossing each others'' territories.

Kyrgyz officials say they hope soon that similar joint patrols can be arranged with their Uzbek colleagues.