Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have signed an agreement to end their long-standing border dispute. The agreement includes an exchange of territories between the two countries. Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan Presidents signed the agreement on Thursday to define their shared border, hoping to put an end to clashes that have killed dozens in recent years. According to Kyrgyz officials, Kyrgyzstan will receive approximately 25 square kilometers of land from Tajikistan in exchange for either a similar amount of territory or better access to shared water resources. The agreement also establishes some neutral roads and restricts agricultural and energy development near the border.

The two countries have clashed repeatedly around the Kyrgyz town of Batken, notably peaking with a six-day conflict in September 2022.

The agreement was signed by Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and his Tajik counterpart Emomali Rakhmon in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. It also resumes land, rail, and air connections between the two countries, which had been suspended since the clashes in September 2022.

Following the agreement, Japarov said, “From now on and forever, the border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan will be a border of eternal friendship.” Japarov’s office said the agreement would contribute to enhancing security, stability, and sustainable development in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and throughout Central Asia.

The approximately 970 km shared border between the two countries has been disputed since Soviet-era boundaries were first drawn in Central Asia.