Press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan released a statement, prepared in response to information about Tortkul reservoir, which was voiced by officials and deputies of Kyrgyzstan.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry of the country reminds that the procedure of delimitation and demarcation of the Tajik-Kyrgyz state border has not been completed. Negotiations of the government delegations of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan on this issue continue.
«Section of the territory along which the source runs, mentioned by the deputy of the Parliament of Kyrgyzstan, is considered as disputed until completion of delimitation of the Tajik-Kyrgyz state border in accordance with the norms of international law. At the moment, transfer by one party of any disputed area to the other party is out of question. The ministry calls on the politicians of the neighboring country to make statements about the Tajik-Kyrgyz border very carefully, since the dissemination of unverified information may contribute to destabilization of the situation in the border territories of the two brotherly states,» the statement says.
On February 4, Ulukbek Maripov, speaking in Parliament, said that part of the canal through which the reservoir is replenished had been handed over to Tajikistan. Later, the Government refuted the words of the head of the Cabinet, assuring that this canal fully belongs to the territory of Kyrgyzstan. As it turned out, Ulukbek Maripov announced distribution of water resources in accordance with the agreement signed on May 16, 1991.
Tortkul reservoir is the only one in Batken region of Kyrgyzstan. It is also the only source of fresh water for residents of six nearby villages and Batken. Locals call it the pearl of the region. The water reservoir area is 6.6 square kilometers, the volume is 90 million cubic meters of water. The reservoir is filled mainly thanks to melting snow and other sources.
