Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan begin exchanging land plots under border demarcation agreement
Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have begun implementing organizational and technical measures related to the exchange of land plots under the bilateral agreement on the demarcation of their state border, Qazinform News Agency reports, citing Kabar.
According to the press service of the Batken regional administration, a regular meeting of the joint working commission overseeing the land exchange was held on July 24 in Kadamjay district.
The commission discussed a range of organizational and technical issues, including determining the legal status of residents in the transferred territories, their registration and resettlement, as well as the settlement of property, economic, and other related matters.
To implement the decisions reached at the meeting and ensure the timely resolution of practical issues, a joint working group began operations at the local level on August 3.
The Kyrgyz side of the working group is led by First Deputy Governor of Batken region Baktybek Toksonbaev, while Uzbekistan's delegation is led by Bekhzod Saifullaev, Deputy Head of the Migration and Personalization Department at the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Under the border demarcation agreement, the villages of Chong-Gara and Tash-Tobo, previously part of Uzbekistan's Fergana Region, have been transferred to Kyrgyzstan. The villages are predominantly populated by ethnic Kyrgyz.
According to preliminary estimates, the two settlements have a combined population of about 2,500 people.
Registration procedures are currently underway, after which residents will be able to undergo the legal process required to obtain Kyrgyz citizenship.
In return, Kyrgyzstan will transfer an equivalent plot of land near the state border to Uzbekistan, in accordance with the bilateral agreement.
Earlier, it was reported that Kyrgyzstan’s territory expanded by 15,572 hectares after border delimitation.