Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan have formalized the creation of the Tajik-Kyrgyz Intergovernmental Council aimed at fostering and expanding mutually beneficial cooperation across a wide range of sectors.
The agreement was signed in Dushanbe during the state visit of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, The Caspian Post reports via Tajik media.
The two nations pledged to deepen and develop collaboration in trade, investment, industry, science and technology, and cultural-humanitarian fields, guided by mutual benefit and a commitment to intensify bilateral ties.
The Council will be co-chaired by the prime minister of Tajikistan and the chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan, and include representatives from relevant ministries and agencies. Additionally, industry and business leaders may be invited to participate based on specific agenda items. The Council is authorized to establish working groups to focus on priority cooperation areas.
Meetings will be held annually, alternating between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, with provisions for extraordinary sessions to address urgent issues. Decisions will be documented in minutes signed by the co-chairs, with proceedings conducted in Russian.
The establishment of the Council comes amid a notable thaw and stabilization of the Tajikistan-Kyrgyzstan relations in 2025, following challenging border conflicts during 2021-2022.
Key milestones include:
February 21, 2025: Final border demarcation agreement signed by security chiefs Saymumin Yatimov (Tajikistan) and Kamchybek Tashiev (Kyrgyzstan), ending a dispute spanning over three decades.
March 13, 2025: Presidents Rahmon and Japarov signed a land exchange agreement in Bishkek, reopening previously closed border checkpoints.
May 27, 2025: Consular consultations in Dushanbe addressed migration, citizens’ rights, and eased cross-border travel.
July 8-9, 2025: During President Japarov’s state visit to Tajikistan, 14 new bilateral agreements were signed, and a symbolic reopening ceremony was held for the Tojvaron-Karamyk border crossing.
Trade turnover between the two countries plunged after Kyrgyzstan’s border closure in April 2021, falling from nearly $40 million in 2020 to $12 million in 2024. However, in the first five months of 2025, bilateral trade rebounded to over $6 million-up nearly 30 per cent compared to the same period in 2024.
Imports to Tajikistan from Kyrgyzstan accounted for approximately $4.7 million, while Tajik exports to Kyrgyzstan surpassed $1.3 million.
The border closure also disrupted transit shipments, compelling many Tajik suppliers of Chinese, Kazakh, and Russian goods-who together represent over 60 per cent of Tajikistan’s foreign trade-to seek alternate routes.
Reopening the border is expected to restore these transit links, facilitating smoother delivery of goods, particularly benefiting the import of Chinese products into northern Tajikistan. Kyrgyzstan has expressed willingness to serve as a key conduit for Tajik exports entering the Eurasian Economic Union market.
