Presidents of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan discuss border conflict

On the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Samarkand, the Presidents of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan held talks on the situation on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border.

Sadyr Japarov and Emomali Rahmon agreed to instruct the relevant structures to cease fire and withdraw forces and assets from the line of contact. The heads of the special services of the two countries will work on the spot, a commission has been set up to investigate the circumstances and causes of the incident.

An agreement was reached to speed up the work of the Intergovernmental Commission of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan on the delimitation and demarcation of the state border.

The conflict on the border between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan began on Wednesday, September 14. The Kyrgyz border service accused the Tajik military of taking up positions on an undescribed section of the joint border. The Tajik side claims that its soldiers were shelled without any reason.