Kazakhstani peacekeepers honored in Tajikistan
The memory of Kazakhstani warriors who perished in 1995 while performing their military duty to protect the CIS external borders on the Tajik-Afghan section was honored in the capital of Tajikistan, reports a Qazinform News Agency correspondent in Dushanbe.
In his welcoming speech, Kazakh Ambassador Valikhan Turekhanov noted that in January 1993, CIS heads of state signed an Agreement on the joint protection of the Tajik-Afghan border against militant groups. For eight years, over 10,000 Kazakhstani soldiers and officers stood guard over the southern frontiers of the CIS, helping the brotherly people of Tajikistan.
"During the tragic events of April 1995 in the Pshikhavar Gorge of the Darvoz District, the Kazakhstani 7th Integrated Company was ambushed. Following a five-hour battle, 17 servicemen were killed, and dozens were wounded. Five of the fallen soldiers were posthumously awarded the Order of Aibyn (Order of Valor), II Degree, and twelve received the Medal Jauyngerlık Erlıgı üşın (Medal for Military Courage). Today, we stand shoulder to shoulder with veterans of those events to honor the memory of our warriors," the diplomat stated.
Safarali Saifulloyev, Lieutenant General and former Deputy Chairman of the Border Troops of the Republic of Tajikistan, emphasized the merits of the Kazakhstani people in providing selfless assistance to ensure the security of Tajikistan's state border and the southern borders of the CIS.
"Kazakhstani soldiers set an outstanding example of courage, resilience, and loyalty to their military duty. It is with particular pain that we remember the 17 sons of brotherly Kazakhstan who have forever etched their names into the history of our peoples. Their sacrifice is a symbol of true brotherhood, solidarity, and mutual support. Eternal glory to the heroes who gave their lives for the peace and security of the people of Tajikistan," Saifulloyev concluded.
To commemorate the feat of the Kazakhstani soldiers, memorial plaques were installed in Dushanbe's Abulqasim Ferdowsi Park in 2007 and at the site of their service in Darvoz in 2019, where people gather every year to lay flowers.
Qazinform reported earlier that Kazakh Majilis deputies ratified the Treaty on Allied Relations between Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.
