Ankara (TDI): In an official statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye has welcomed the signing of agreement among Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan in the Northern Tajik City of Khujand.
The agreement was concluded on March 31st during the Khujand Summit which brought together the three Presidents in one place. The agreement is significant because all three countries have committed to peace at the border junction; the border regions that they share.
“We believe that this agreement will contribute to peace, stability and cooperation in Central Asia,” the MFA’s statement noted.
Regarding the Agreement Among Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan on the Determination of the Border Junction Point https://t.co/741AT0Cv3I pic.twitter.com/3FHp6Usok2
— Turkish MFA (@MFATurkiye) April 3, 2025
During the Summit, the leaders inaugurated Friendship Stele as a monument symbolizing the strengthened friendship, trust, and strategic partnership among the three nations.
According to the Kyrgyz President’s press service, the three leaders emphasized the commitment to respecting each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity while encouraging constructive discussion and collaboration in Central Asia.
The Ferghana valley, whose border delimitation has until now remained unclear, brewed tension and conflict among the three Central Asian Republics. The valley carries a deep cultural and religious significance for Muslims generally and Muslims of Central Asia particularly.
But borders came to be arbitrary when Soviet Union disintegrated and Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan became independent states in 1991.
Ferghana valley, which is otherwise a paradise on Earth, has been a hotbed of contentions owing to free movement of people living in this border junction region.
The militant Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) also exacerbated the disagreements among the three countries.
Agreement on where Uzbek territory ends and Kyrgyz territory begins came only recently, in late 2022, and the border agreement between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan was signed this year on March 12.
With the signing of the Khujand Declaration, hopes are high inside and outside the region that peace and dialogue will prevail.
Nuzhat Rana is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
