BISHKEK, May 2. /TASS/. Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan should avoid armed clashes between the countries in the future, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov said on Sunday addressing the nation regarding the conflict on the border with Tajikistan.
"Both sides should not allow continuation of armed clashes," he said, adding that the republics are "neighbors forever." "We cannot leave the land inherited from our ancestors and move to another place," the head of the state noted.
Zhaparov suggested that the elders be involved in the process of peaceful settlement of the relationship in a move to prevent such clashes in the future. "In a move to prevent further conflicts, I suggest that a commission be set up to maintain peace, consisting of the elders from both sides that live in neighboring or mixed villages," he explained.
The events on the border with Tajikistan threated the republic’s territorial integrity, Kyrgyz President said. "Territorial integrity and security of our homeland was threatened on April 28-30, whereas peaceful people were destabilized," he said. Moreover, the Kyrgyz side "suffered major losses." "Thousands of our citizens were forced to leave their homes," the head of the state said, adding that due to the protection of the republic’s borders by border guards and law enforcement officials it became possible to begin the talks and "define a diplomatic way of settling the conflict."
"In order to avoid further escalation of the conflict a protocol was signed following the work of intergovernmental commission on demarcation of boundaries," he noted.
The situation on the border between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan near the Golovnoy water intake facility, which each side considers as its territory, escalated on April 28, after clashes sparked between residents of the two countries’ border areas. On April 29, armed skirmishes between Kyrgyz and Tajik servicemen broke out. Kyrgyzstan accused Tajikistan of using mortars, machine guns and Mi-24 military helicopters. On the evening of April 29, the sides agreed to a ceasefire and the pullout of troops. However, separate flare-ups continued until May 1. On Saturday, at a meeting of representatives of the governments of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, the parties agreed to bring military equipment back to places of permanent deployment.
According to the Kyrgyz Ministry of Health, as a result of the conflict on the border with Tajikistan, 34 residents of Kyrgyzstan were killed and more than 150 others were injured. The majority of casualties are civilians. During the clashes in the republic several dozen buildings were burned down or destroyed, including two schools, three border outposts and a fire station. As many as 33,000 people were evacuated from the conflict zone. May 1-2 were declared national days of mourning in Kyrgyzstan.