Kyrgyzstan/Tajikistan: The Authoritarian Roots and Implications of the Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan Border Agreement

Mar 27, 2025 | Kristiina Silvan, Diplomat
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On March 31, the first trilateral summit between the leaders of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan will take place in Khujand, Tajikistan. The meeting is of historical importance not only because it is the first of its kind, but because it is a sign of changing times in Central Asia. For decades, the densely populated Fergana Valley has been a site of ethnic conflict and contestation between the Kyrgyz, Tajik, and Uzbek peoples. Now, however, there are hopes of putting past grievances behind. Earlier this month, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan concluded a border delimitation agreement that formally resolved the long and thorny border dispute between them.