After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Kyrgyzstan's political and economic relations with other Central Asian
countries, developed more or less positively. However all the expert opinions on the prospects of development of
The unresolved border issues, as well as issues with enclaves are vulnerable factors for Kyrgyzstan that have
become a trap for the three countries of the region - Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. It is not accidental.
During the Soviet period the Ferghana Valley was divided between three countries. The curious lines of the
borders marked the territory, which due to the landscape or the structure of communication routes actually were in
an enclave or semi-enclave position, in connection with which ethnic groups were divided with territorial
boundaries. Thus there are eight enclaves with a total population of 100 000 people in Central Asia. Regional
border conflicts occur quite often there, especially within and around the largest enclaves of Sarvak and Vorukh
(Tajikistan), as well as Sokh and Shakhimardan (Uzbekistan). Access to water, pastures and strict border control
are the main causes of periodic clashes that can have a negative impact on the lives of 80,000 people.
The unsolved border settlement not only raises the issues of delimitation, demarcation of borders, definition
and introduction of their regime, but also requires the solution of a number of major ethnic problems, the
complexity of which is that on different sides of the border of Kyrgyzstan - Tajikistan, Uzbekistan - Kyrgyzstan
(and the opposite way) in the form of enclave inclusions in each state there are large diasporas of other peoples.
The number of Uzbek diasporas in the ethno-social structure in Tajikistan is 24.4%, in Kyrgyzstan - 13.8%. And
in the population of Uzbekistan - Tajiks is 0.97%, Kyrgyz - 0.9%. At the same time, the absolute majority of
73.5% of the Kyrgyz in Uzbekistan live in three regions of the Ferghana valley: Andijan, Ferghana and Namagan.
In the total number of population of Uzbekistan (31.85 million people) the number of Kyrgyz is quite low, then
the number of Uzbeks to inhabitants of Kyrgyzstan (6,083 million people) 13.8 is the large diaspora. The presence
of such a ratio of ethnic groups in the delimitation of borders leads to increased conflict situations [1].
Абай атындағы ҚазҰПУ-нің ХАБАРШЫСЫ, «Тарих және саяси-әлеуметтік ғылымдар» сериясы, №3(58), 2018 ж.
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Despite the fact that the population of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan has changed recently in the
direction of increasing, the ratio of ethnic groups remains a key problem. In this regard, special attention should be
paid to the relations between the countries of Central Asia within the framework of the existing ethno-territorial
and border problems.
The complex of problems and contradictions in the territorial-border sphere has old roots. Some appeared in
modern times, and others were associated with the national and territorial division of Central Asia, initiated by the
Soviet authorities in 1924 and partially implemented in the 1930s, 1950s.Then, in determining the territory of the
Soviet republics, an approach was implemented, which was based on the concept that in the future national
differences will disappear and that there is no need to be particularly sensitive in matters of extraterritorial
division.
The administrative map of Soviet Central Asia was drawn up in such a way that a number of territorial
enclaves of some republics were completely surrounded by the territory of others. There are four Uzbek exclaves
in the Ferghana part of Kyrgyzstan which are relatively large - Sokh and Shakhimardan and two small - Dzhangail
and Chon-mountain.
There is a Kyrgyz enclave-Barak village in Uzbekistan, which belongs to the rural government of Ak-Tash of
Kara-sui district in Osh region. In addition, in Soviet period, more than 130 land plots of the Kyrgyz SSR were
leased to Uzbekistan for a period of 25 years. This period expired by the early 1990s, but the Uzbek leadership
was slow in returning the leased lands to Kyrgyzstan. In Tashkent, it is believed that the funds invested in the
development of these territories of Uzbekistan give them a reason to claim permanent ownership.
Tajikistan has four exclaves on the territory of Kyrgyzstan-in the Batken district of Osh region (the villages of
Vorukh, Chorkukh, Surh and a small area of Western Kalacha). The only highway that connects the neighboring
Batken district with Leylekskiy and the rest of Kyrgyzstan passes through Vorukh. The only highway that
connects the neighboring Badenscallie district with the rest of Kyrgyzstan, passes through Vorukh. It should be
noted that from 970 km of the Kyrgyz-Tajik border (2014) were clarified only 503 km, in the last eight years, not
a single km of joint borders was recorded. Since 2013, seven bilateral meetings of representatives of Sughd and
Batken regions, the city of Isfara and law enforcement agencies of both countries have been held in order to
resolve controversial issues (over the past 2-3 years).
However the parties did not come to a mutually acceptable decision on any border issue. The Tajik side
offered the option of dividing the disputed territories in half, but Kyrgyzstan replied with a categorical refusal. The
reason for the disagreement: the Tajik side operates with maps of the 1920s, when Vorukh was inside the borders
of Tajikistan, and the Kyrgyz side relies on maps of the 1950s, where Vorukh was its enclave. Certainly each of
the parties insists on the ownership of the disputed territories.
The attempts of the Uzbek leadership to conclude an agreement with Kyrgyz colleagues on the exchange of
territories were unsuccessful. The Uzbek side proposed to attach a wide strip of land to the "mainland" part of
Uzbekistan. In exchange, Kyrgyzstan was offered to transfer the southern part of the Sokh. Such an agreement
seemed unprofitable for the Kyrgyz side for the following reasons: the Batken district of the country will be cut
off from the rest of the territory and the lands offered by Uzbekistan have no agricultural value. In this regard,
since the middle of 2000, the Treaty process has practically stopped. Another key problem is the establishment of
cooperation in the water and energy sector, which has long been at the level of inter-state relations in the region.
The peculiarity of the region is the fact that political regimes in the states are personalized: sympathy or
antipathy of the Heads of the states have a serious impact on the formation of foreign policy.
The example of this fact is the coming of Shavkat Mirziyoyev to power in 2016 in Uzbekistan. Owing to his
presidency positive trends and prospects of bilateral relations began to develop in Kyrgyzstan. According to
Kyrgyz expert on International Affairs Edil Osmonbetov, 2017 has become a historic year for Kyrgyzstan in
relations with Uzbekistan: "Because for a year we have passed with space speed that we have not passed for 26
years, and were able to improve bilateral relations between the two countries" [2]. In under a year questions
description of 1170.53 km of disputed areas of the border were solved. The Interim Agreement on the border was
prepared, the signing of which allows to proceed to the delimitation of 84% of the state border line. E.
Osmonbetov believes that relations between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan can become model for the rest of the
region and the CIS countries. The countries of the region can take as a basis the solution of economic, border
issues, as well as issues of diversification of transit with Uzbekistan, taking into account the national interests of
Kyrgyzstan and equality of these relations. This model of relations will have a positive effect in the region in the
coming years. In the future, there will be an opportunity to cooperate in security issues, combating extremism and
in other regional areas of cooperation. The expert emphasizes the political experience of Kyrgyzstan for
Uzbekistan and other countries: "This is a transition to democracy, a parliamentary Republic, holding transparent