ISTANBUL 

Türkiye on Thursday welcomed the border demarcation agreement signed between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

In a written statement, the Foreign Ministry said: “This agreement, concluded as a result of the close dialogue between the two countries at the highest level, will contribute to peace, stability and cooperation in the region.”

Earlier in the day, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and his Tajik counterpart Emomali Rahmon signed an agreement on the state border in Bishkek, resolving a long-standing dispute that had been a source of conflict in recent years.

The nearly 1,000-kilometer (621-mile) Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan border has been a recurring flashpoint for conflict, with the most severe clashes seen in 2021 and 2022.

In 2021, three days of fighting claimed the lives of 36 Kyrgyz citizens and 19 Tajik citizens.

In September 2022, two days of clashes left a total of at least 100 people dead and forced the evacuation of around 140,000 people.