Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan begin handover of two border villages as part of demarcation deal
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Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan on August 3 started the practical transfer of two border villages, Chon-Gara and Tash-Dobo, to Kyrgyzstan as part of a demarcation deal. Specialists began registering the roughly 2,500 ethnic Kyrgyz residents and outlining citizenship procedures, while a joint commission works through property and relocation issues.
The Boundary Demarcation Deal
The agreement to clarify the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border and exchange land parcels was finalized earlier, with a joint commission meeting on July 24 in Kadamjai district to discuss resident status, documentation, property, and relocation. Under the deal, Kyrgyzstan will transfer equal-sized land to Uzbekistan in return for Chon-Gara and Tash-Dobo. The villages, previously part of Uzbekistan's Fergana Valley, are inhabited mainly by ethnic Kyrgyz. The Kyrgyz delegation is led by Baktybek Toksonbaev, first deputy presidential envoy in Batken region, and the Uzbek side by Bekhzod Sayfullaev, deputy head of the Interior Ministry’s migration department.
Registration of Residents
On August 3, specialists arrived in the villages to begin registering the approximately 2,500 residents and explaining the documentation needed for Kyrgyz citizenship. The registration is part of organizational and technical procedures mandated by the bilateral commission. Residents are being informed of their rights and obligations as the transfer proceeds. According to 24.kg, the process will eventually grant them Kyrgyz citizenship in line with national legislation. Local authorities have yet to set a deadline for completion.
Property and Relocation Issues
The joint commission is addressing complex issues including property valuation, relocation of those who may wish to move, and future economic activities in the transferred areas. Uzbekistan had previously governed the villages, and some residents face uncertainties over land titles and cross-border family ties. Kyrgyz officials have pledged to handle the transition smoothly, but no formal timeline has been announced for resolving property disputes.
What's Next
The commission is expected to hold further meetings to finalize property assessments and citizenship paperwork. It remains unclear whether any residents will opt to relocate to Uzbekistan, and how the land swap will affect local commerce and travel between the Fergana Valley communities.
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Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan begin handover of two border villages as part of demarcation deal
