DUSHANBE, March 4, 2014, Asia-Plus – A meeting of the Tajik-Kyrgyz intergovernmental commission for demarcation and delimitation of disputed segments of mutual border that took place in Dushanbe on March 3 ended with signing of a protocol on continuation of work of relevant commissions for settlement of the situation in the disputed areas of the border.

The protocol was inked by Tajik Deputy Prime Minister Murodali Alimardon and Kyrgyz Deputy Minister Tokon Mamytov, who co-chaired the meeting.

A well-informed source in the Tajik government says the meeting was held behind closed doors and the sides came to an agreement on construction of two bridges in the disputed areas on the Isfara stretch of the border.  One of the bridges will be built by Tajikistan and the other one will be built by the Kyrgyz side.

The sides reportedly also agreed to hold the next round of border talks in late March in Tajikistan.  It will take place in Dushanbe or in Isfara.

The source refrained from giving further details.

We will recall that Kyrgyz Deputy Prime Minister Tokon Mamytov heading a Kyrgyz delegation arrived in Dushanbe on March 2 and Kyrgyz Ambassador to Tajikistan Urmat Saralayev, who was recalled after a January 11 border incident, was also among members of the Kyrgyz delegation.

The Tajik delegation members reportedly included the Aide to the President of Tajikistan for National Security Affairs Sherali Khairulloyev, who co-chairs the group for military and border issues, Chairman of the State Committee on Land Management and Geodesy Mahmadtohir Zokirov, who co-chairs the group for the border demarcation and delimitation issues, and Minister of Transport Khairullo Asozoda, who co-chairs the group for use of border roads.

The previous meeting of the Tajik-Kyrgyz intergovernmental commission for demarcation and delimitation of disputed segments of mutual border was held in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek on February 15.

The meeting reportedly discussed the results of the work carried out by the joint working groups in disputed areas on the Isfara stretch of the Tajik-Kyrgyz border from February 5 to February 10.  The Tajik sides submitted its specific findings for consideration to the Kyrgyz delegation.  For its part, the Kyrgyz side noted that it will submit positions regarding the discussed issues for consideration to Tajikistan through diplomatic channels in the near future.

During the meeting that took place in Bishkek on January 31, Alimardon and Mamytov agreed the two countries'' working groups on border delimitation must expedite their activities.

Five Kyrgyz border guards, one Kyrgyz policeman, and two Tajik border guards were hospitalized with injuries on January 11 after tensions escalated into exchanges of gunfire along the Kyrgyz-Tajik border.  The clash started when Tajiks protested Kyrgyzstan’s construction of a bypass road through a disputed area.  Tajikistan has requested to halt the construction of the road until the border is delimited.

Kyrgyzstan recalled its ambassador to Tajikistan and unilaterally closed border crossing points (BCPs) on its common border with Tajikistan