[ビシュケク １９日 ロイター] – Kyrgyz President Japarov said on Wednesday there was no need for a volunteer force to guard the border after last week’s clashes with Tajikistan, while urging his people to become a strategic partner in the his country’s army. He called us to trust our country.
At least 100 people were killed in clashes along the Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan border last week. “We continue our efforts to peacefully resolve the border issue with Tajikistan,” Japarov said in a televised address.
Kyrgyz officials said on Monday they had negotiated the release of four border guards detained by Tajik forces during the clashes. Tajikistan’s foreign ministry reiterated that Kyrgyzstan provoked the armed conflict, but said negotiations were key to resolving the dispute.
Border disputes in Central Asia stem from the immigration policies of the former Soviet Union. Both Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are allies of Russia and host Russian military bases. Russia does not stand on either side, calling on the two countries to find a peaceful solution.
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