The Kazakh capital, Astana, yesterday hosted a trilateral meeting of the Presidents of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, Russia Vladimir Putin and Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov.  The meeting was held at the initiative of the Russian side.  

The Tajik president’s official website says the heads of state exchanged views on issues of regional security and stability in Central Asia.

During the meeting, the course of the negotiation process on the delimitation and demarcation of the disputed segments of Tajikistan-Kyrgyzstan border.

An agreement was reportedly reached to resolve emerging issues exclusively by political and diplomatic means, as well as to intensify the activities of government groups on the delimitation and demarcation of the state border and working groups of experts in strict accordance with previously reached agreements.

The meeting was held behind closed doors. 

Recall, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan signed a protocol (Protocol # 42) on the settlement of the situation along the mutual border on September 25.  The document was inked by the head of the State Committee for National Security (SCNS) of Kyrgyzstan Kamchybek Tashiyev and his Tajik counterpart Saimumin Yatimov.

The border clashes that erupted on September 14 and continued for two days, where Kyrgyz and Tajik forces engaged in more than 12 places all along the border, after which the two sides agreed to a ceasefire on September 16, which has been largely held up despite several alleged incidents of shelling with a severe escalation on September 16 and 17. 

According to Kyrgyz authorities, 62 Kyrgyz nationals were killed and 198 others were wounded in those clashes. 

Official Dushanbe said 41 Tajik nationals had been killed and 30 had been wounded in September border clashes.

Meanwhile, correspondents of Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service reported a higher number after talking to relatives and friends of victims of the violence.

They concluded that 70 Tajik nationals, including dozens of civilians, lost their lives and have compiled a list of those killed.