Road Through Tort-Kocho Gains Neutral Status in Kyrgyz-Tajik Border Agreement

The road through Tort-Kocho, which has repeatedly caused conflict between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, has acquired neutral status, Orda reports, citing AKIPress.

Kamchybek Tashiev, head of Kyrgyzstan's State Committee for National Security (GKNB), stated this on February 27 during a joint meeting of six Jogorku Kenesh committees.

The committees are reviewing the treaty and agreements on the delimitation and demarcation of the Kyrgyz-Tajik border.

The road has become neutral. It belongs neither to Kyrgyzstan nor to Tajikistan. <....> There is much to say about Tort-Kocho. There was betrayal from our officials, high-ranking leaders. I will tell you about this later so as not to escalate the situation now, Tashiev noted.

Tashiev also reported that the bridge on this road remains under Kyrgyz control.

Negotiations stopped for 6 months because of the bridge. This bridge has strategic importance for Kyrgyzstan. Residents of Batken and Leilek districts travel across it, he said.

According to Tashiev, the Dacha-Kapchygai highway (3,400 meters) will be built and used by Tajikistan, while the Min Bulak-Samarkandek highway (3,300 meters) will be built and used by Kyrgyzstan.