Tajikistan-Kyrgyzstan border to reopen on March 13 after years of closure

The long-closed border between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan is set to reopen on March 13, marking a significant step in diplomatic relations between the two Central Asian neighbours.

Local officials from the Sughd region (Tajikistan) and Batken region (Kyrgyzstan) are currently meeting at the border to finalize preparations for the reopening.

“The checkpoints are expected to be unsealed tomorrow, March 13. The official reopening of the border crossings on both sides will take place in the presence of high-ranking government officials and border security personnel from both countries,” a source familiar with the matter said, Caliber.Az reports referring to Tajik media.

The Isfara administration in Tajikistan has also confirmed the information.

The reopening of the border comes as Tajik President Emomali Rahmon is set to visit Bishkek on March 12-13 for a private meeting with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov. The two leaders are expected to officially sign the long-negotiated border agreement, which will settle decades-long disputes over undefined and contested areas.

The Tajik-Kyrgyz border has remained closed since September 2021, following violent clashes between soldiers of both countries. The most severe incident occurred in April 2021, when armed confrontations erupted along the disputed sections of the border, resulting in dozens of deaths and escalating tensions between the two nations.

In response, Bishkek unilaterally closed the border, stating that it would only reopen after full delimitation of the boundary. Since then, diplomatic efforts have been ongoing to resolve territorial disputes and define the shared border more clearly.

To achieve a final settlement, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan intensified their border delimitation talks, holding dozens of meetings between 2022 and 2024. By mutual agreement, the discussions took place alternately in both countries, though details of the negotiations were not publicly disclosed.

A major breakthrough occurred in December 2024, when the heads of Tajikistan’s State Committee for National Security, Saimumin Yatimov, and Kyrgyzstan’s State Committee for National Security, Kamchybek Tashiev, announced that the description of the remaining disputed border sections had been fully completed.

On February 21, 2025, both countries initiated draft documents on the border’s delimitation and demarcation in Bishkek, laying the groundwork for a formal agreement.

During a February 27 session of the Kyrgyz parliament, Tashiev provided further details on the agreement, including information on territorial exchanges between the two nations. However, the Tajik side has yet to publicly comment on these specifics.

Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan share a 970-kilometre border, but for years, several hundred kilometres remained undemarcated, leading to frequent tensions.

This issue dates back to the collapse of the Soviet Union when both countries struggled to agree on the ownership of dozens of disputed areas. These undefined territories often became flashpoints for conflict between local communities, occasionally drawing in border guards and military forces.

By Tamilla Hasanova