Officials from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have finalised a border delimitation agreement, taking the edge off what had been Central Asia’s sharpest frontier dispute. The agreement is expected to catalyse the expansion of regional trade.

A Kyrgyz government statement released on February 21 said a bilateral meeting in Bishkek resulted not only in the signing of the border pact, but also agreements covering the development of interstate road transit routes, as well as management of power generation facilities and shared water resources. Discussions between Kyrgyz and Tajik delegations “occurred in an atmosphere of friendship and mutual understanding,” according to the statement.

The two sides first announced in December that they had tentatively reached an agreement on the delimitation of their 970-kilometre-long (603-mile) frontier. The settlement marks a rapid diplomatic turnaround. Disputes over arable land and water resources in contested border areas sparked armed clashes between the two countries in 2021 and 2022. As recently as 18 months ago, the two were locked in an arms race, fanning fears of renewed fighting.

Following up on the border pact, Kyrgyz officials announced on February 24 that the presidents of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan will meet in late March, the first trilateral gathering of its kind. “The summit will be an important step in strengthening regional cooperation,” the Kyrgyz news agency AKIpress cited Kyrgyz Deputy Prime Minister Edil Baisalov as saying.

Meanwhile, Kyrgyz officials have pledged to strengthen controls at border crossings connecting the country with Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Currently, five road crossings connecting Kyrgyzstan to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan lack border controls. The Kyrgyz move to bolster those checkpoints is needed to comply with Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) requirements that all crossing at the union’s external border maintain a stringent customs regime. Kyrgyzstan is the only one of the three states that is a full member of the EEU.

“Authorities have noted that in the absence of traffic control at certain checkpoints, trucks have been violating international road transport agreements,” according to a report published by the Uzbek news outlet Daryo. “The proposed expansion of monitoring aims to improve compliance with interstate regulations and enhance border security.”

This article first appeared on Eurasianet here.