Border conflict: Sadyr Japarov holds talks with Emomali Rahmon

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov held talks with Emomali Rahmon. Press service of the President of Kyrgyzstan reported.

«President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov today, on September 16, met with the President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon on the sidelines of the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, held in the city of Samarkand.

The parties discussed the situation on the Kyrgyz-Tajik section of the state border. The leaders of the two countries agreed to instruct the relevant structures to cease fire and withdraw forces from the line of contact.

Deputy Head of the Cabinet of Ministers — Chairman of the State Committee for National Security Kamchybek Tashiev and the Chairman of the State Committee for National Security of the Republic of Tajikistan Saimumin Yatimov will work on the spot, a commission will be created to investigate the circumstances and causes of the incident,» the statement says.

It is also reported that an agreement has been reached to speed up the work of the intergovernmental commission of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan on the delimitation and demarcation of the state border.

Shooting began at several sites of the border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan on the morning of September 16. According to the Border Service of the State Committee for National Security, at about 6 a.m. the Tajik side started firing at the border detachments and positions of the Kyrgyz side. Later, the Tajik side began mortar shelling of border outposts and border villages in Leilek and Batken districts. At least 42 people were wounded. Shooting continues for the third day. As a result of the armed conflict on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border, residents of seven villages in Batken and Leilek districts left their homes.