Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov has urged calm following violent clashes with neighbour Tajikistan.
In a televised address to his country’s people, Japarov urged them to count on the army and strategic allies and said that there was no need for volunteer forces at the border with Tajikistan.
A report in Reuters cited Japarov as emphasizing the desire for calm among his nation. He further added that brave Kyrgyz soldiers and forces were stationed to resist those who breached Kyrgyz boundaries.
“We continue our efforts to resolve the Kyrgyz-Tajik border issues in a purely peaceful way,” Japarov said, as per the report.
Japarov also asked his people not to trust “provocateurs who slander our strategic partners, friendly nations and peoples who share our position”.
Following last week’s tragic confrontation, at least 94 people were killed in the disputed area of Batken.
Border disputes in Central Asia are mostly a result of Moscow’s attempts to partition the region during the Soviet era. However, due to its involvement in Ukraine, Russia has refrained from taking a side in the dispute and has urged all parties to find a peaceful solution.
