Far East: Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan Settles Border Disputes Through A Monumental Deal
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon after signing an agreement, finalizing the long-disputed border between the two nations. via the Presidential Press Service.
In the world of international diplomacy, border disputes were, and still are, one of the most difficult issues to tackle. Despite that, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have proven that cooperation works and nothing is too difficult to achieve for the sake of peace and prosperity between the two parties.
On March 13th, 2025, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan signed an agreement in Bishkek to end the long-running border dispute that has led to violent clashes between both parties for years. The two former Soviet Central Asian states have mentioned that this deal is in the best interest of both countries and their people. The deal includes official demarcation of the 972 km borders after multiple behind-the-scenes agreements to resolve disputes over certain sections of the border. “The border treaty will create a solid foundation for further comprehensive expansion of our interstate relations and open a new page in the Tajik-Kyrgyz relations,” mentions President Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan.
Bolsheviks’ Border
The border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan is well over 972 km long and has been the site of multiple conflicts and skirmishes ever since the Central Asian nations gained independence as the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. The border itself, however, has been drawn since at least in the 1920s at Moscow. It has been said that the renowned Soviet leader, Joseph Stalin himself, oversaw the border redrawing process where the borders between the new five Soviet republics were to be established as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. These borders would not be established according to the geographical features or ethnicity of the communities along the borders but in ways that suppress rebellion, divide villages and families, and separate ethnic groups from each other. This is because these Central Asians did not voluntarily join the Soviet Union, they were forced to. Russia has been capturing and asserting its power over Central Asia since the late 19th century, seeing it as a crucial piece of land that connects the country to the insatiable markets of Persia, China, and British India.
a soviet muslim propaganda poster. via voices on central asia.
After the Russian Revolution, these Central Asian nations revolted against the newly established Soviet Union. These rebels, called the “Basmachis” or bandits by the Bolsheviks were a group of Muslim minorities. The group was able to hold up against the Soviets until 1924 when the Bolsheviks implemented such a border to avoid any rebellion like the Basmachis from ever happening again. The border drawn was so divisive that when these countries gained independence in 1991 from the Soviet Union, violence started to re-emerge in this region which resulted in dozens of casualties over the years. Out of all the borders drawn between the five Central Asian Soviet republics, however, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan happen to inherit one of the most divisive and worst-drawn.
a soldier on the shelled site in kyrgyzstan on the septermber 2022 clash. via Anadolu Ajansı.
Two of the bloodiest clashes in borders between these two countries were in April of 2021 and September of 2022. According to the Kyrgyz authorities, on April 28-29, 2021, over 26 Kyrgyz citizens were killed, 183 injured, and 50,000 residents fled the scene, causing a massive exodus of people seeking safety. Apart from that, on September 17th, 2022, the Kyrgyz border villages of Kulundu, Maksat, and Dzahni-Dzer were heavily shelled with authorities reporting over 59 deaths and 136,000 people displaced.
The Central Asian ‘Schengen’
The agreement signed on March 13th, 2025, was a turning point for the conflict as both Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan parliaments had ratified the border agreements, marking all border disputes and issues as solved. Moreover, the agreement has called upon its neighbouring five Central Asian countries; Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, to join hands and create a mutual, Schengen-style, visa-free zone.
The so-called 'Central Asian Schengen' initiative has been in discussion since 2018, originally proposed by Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The term 'Schengen' refers to the European Schengen visa, which allows non-EU citizens temporary stay and free movement across the borders of more than 29 European countries. The idea of a Central Asian joint visa was to be named the ‘Silk Road Visa’ with now the border issues ratified, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have joined Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in expressive interest to pursue this program forward after its long hiatus since the pandemic.
International Point of View
This Deal has been met with joy both at home and on the international stage. Tammy Bruce, the United States Department of State Spokesperson has made a statement congratulating both Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan on this historic agreement to ‘delineate’ and ‘demarcate’ the entirety of their border. “This accomplishment reflects the commitment of their governments to diplomacy and regional stability,” mentioned the department spokesperson.
U.S. department of state spokesperson Tammy Bruce. Kevin Lamarque via reuters.
Meanwhile, international organizations such as Human Rights Watch have mentioned how this agreement marks significant progress towards resolving the regional conflict that has inflicted injustices and suffering towards the people of both countries. In its statement, the Human Rights Watch has further emphasized on the importance of placing human rights at the center of the implementation of the newly-demarcated border while also addressing the past injustices to ensure that this agreement will result in long-lasting peace in the region.
the atmosphere in the official agreement signing ceremony. via the presidential press service.
While the agreement between these two countries has been proven to be ultimately beneficial towards their people, one can only wonder that as the region moves forward its sustainable future, will the implementation of this deal be shaped in peace while grounded with justice, inclusion, and mutual respect or will it, just like many border deals signed by many nations before, ends in inaction and violence.