Mysterious Border Protocol Signed Between Kyrgyz and Tajik Security Chiefs – The Diplomat

On October 2 in Batken, Kyrgyzstan, the heads of the Kyrgyz and Tajik safety companies reportedly signed a protocol that “offers us the idea to resolve all border points,” as Kamchybek Tashiev, head of Kyrgyzstan’s Committee for Nationwide Safety (SCNS or GKNB) put it. Though authorities in each international locations launched equivalent statements, neither has revealed or disclosed the precise particulars of “Protocol No. 44,” signed amid a daily assembly of an intergovernmental fee that has sought to resolve the 2 international locations’ long-standing border disputes.

In Kyrgyzstan, 24.kg reported that “pro-government bloggers” had begun chattering a couple of “historic determination” on the border upfront of any official statements from the federal government. On Fb, Nurgazy Anarkulov – who, Kloop famous, is a former head of the presidential data coverage division and “near Tashiev” – had proclaimed, “The Kyrgyz-Tajik border dispute has been put to an finish!” Anarkulov’s publish is important of the Tajik facet – for “attempting to unravel the issue in its favor by breaking us in numerous methods, together with utilizing the pressure of arms” – and positively glowing in its appraisal of Tashiev: “Typically we needed to communicate in smooth, generally in diplomatic language, and more often than not in a pointy ultimatum.” Finally, Anarkulov claimed that the Tajik facet had “given up” all its claims – fairly a declare to make.

When the Kyrgyz Cupboard of Ministers weighed in, it was to make clear that the assembly was principally routine. In additional restrained language, the cupboard mentioned that “throughout the assembly, an in depth change of views came about on the problem of delimitation of the Kyrgyz-Tajik state border. The heads of the delegations, expressing full mutual understanding about the necessity to intensify additional description of the passage of the venture line of the Kyrgyz-Tajik state border within the remaining sections, gave acceptable directions to the working teams… Following the outcomes of the joint assembly, a protocol was signed.”

Nazirbek Borubaev, the particular consultant of the Cupboard of Ministers for delimitation and demarcation of borders, additional clarified in statements to Maral, a radio station. Borubaev, who participated within the negotiations, mentioned, “The border downside has not but been utterly resolved; it can’t be resolved in a single day.” He added that within the October 2 assembly “solely the rules had been agreed upon” and mentioned that negotiations are underway.

“I can’t give extra detailed data. If I give data, it’s going to have an effect on the negotiations,” he concluded.

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Negotiations, Borubaev mentioned, would proceed on October 8. 

Saimumin Yatimov, the chairman of Tajikistan’s State Committee for Nationwide Safety, mentioned whereas standing subsequent to Tashiev following the assembly that the continuing work to resolve the border points between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan had made progress. “Conflicts are all the time much less [important] than [historical ties],” he mentioned. “That’s why we have now signed Protocol No. 44.” He went on to say, “We’ll diligently and constructively implement it step-by-step, aiming to achieve a complete and basic settlement within the shortest potential time.”

What to make of this information? As famous above, the precise contents of the protocol are unknown.

That lack of transparency is fertile floor for hypothesis, particularly given the sensitivity to borer points in each Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. It didn’t take lengthy for the Kyrgyz State Committee for Nationwide Safety to concern an announcement urging individuals to not imagine data on social media concerning the rumored switch of Kyrgyz land within the Chon-Alai area to Tajikistan. It’s maybe essential to notice that an settlement concerning a special border – that with Uzbekistan – triggered a critical political crackdown in Bishkek, with 27 politicians, journalists, and activists presently on trial for agitating in opposition to the Kempir-Abad deal.

What we do know is that each Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are are eager on portraying some form of progress within the drawn-out battle over the border. Given vital escalations of violence alongside the border in 2021 and 2022, there’s home strain on each side to have the border concern settled. However that home strain – and the nationalistic tones with which the border concern is mentioned in each international locations – makes the onerous choices, the trade-offs that could be essential to achieve an settlement, much more troublesome.

“We’ll quickly make a last determination on defining state borders,” Tashiev optimistically mentioned after the assembly, an angle mirrored by his Tajik counterpart.

The Kyrgyz-Tajik border is about 975 kilometers lengthy (generally reported as 972 km) and as of 2020, it was reported that 519 km had been outlined. In 2022, after a gathering between Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, the 2 sides mentioned 664 km had been resolved. However as RFE/RL famous, in January Rahmon appeared to stroll that quantity again to 614 km. That it’s unclear exactly how a lot of the border is outlined is illustrative of the murky nature of the negotiations between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and a scarcity of transparency in each international locations surrounding the problem.

A last be aware, maybe a cautionary one: In early September, the chief of opposition get together Butun Kyrgyzstan, Adakhan Madumarov, was detained by the State Committee for Nationwide Safety amid an investigation into fees of fraud and treason associated to a 2009 protocol he signed with Tajikistan as a part of a authorities delegation searching for to take care of, you guessed it, the Kyrgyz-Tajik border deadlock. The case, now categorised as “secret” has been transferred to the prosecutor normal.