DUSHANBE, March 18, 2015, Asia-Plus – A draft government-to-government agreement between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan on their common border was discussed yesterday at a meeting of the Kyrgyz government in Bishkek, according to Kyrgyz government’s official website.

Speaking at the meeting, Vice-Premier Abdyrahman Mamataliyev, who is co-chairman of the intergovernmental commission on delimitation and demarcation of disputable stretches of the Kyrgyz-Tajik border, noted that a good progress was made in border talks that took place in Dushanbe this month.

“The talks resulted in signing of protocol under which the sides should work out a draft agreement on a common border in a month’s time.  Thus, a bit step was taken towards solving issues related to delimitation and demarcation of the Kyrgyz-Tajik border,” the Kyrgyz vice-premier stressed.

Mamataliyev reportedly further noted that the draft agreement on the common border had been worked out within a week.

We will recall that Tajik-Kyrgyz border talks, co-chaired by Tajik Deputy Prime Minister Murodali Alimardon and Kyrgyz Vice-Premier Abdyrahman Mamataliyev, took place in Dushanbe on March 5-8.  The side reportedly signed the plan of joint work on solving border disputes for 2015 on March 7.  The meeting participants mainly considered two draft government-to-government agreements: a draft agreement on confidence building measures along the common border; and a draft agreement on mutual use of cross-border roads.

Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan have been locked in a tense border dispute over Vorukh, an exclave of Tajikistan within Kyrgyzstan.