Riyadh: Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Mohammed Al Budaiwi expressed his support for the Khujand Declaration aimed at fostering eternal friendship between Tajikistan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Uzbekistan. The declaration includes a treaty establishing the tri-national border connection point signed on Monday in Khujand, Tajikistan.
In a statement, Al Budaiwi expressed hope that defining the shared border point would mark a historic turning point in resolving border disputes and serve as a foundation for building strategic relations that enhance security, stability, prosperity, and development, benefiting the peoples of the three nations.
Tajikistan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Uzbekistan signed the border agreement during a summit attended by Presidents Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan, Sadyr Japarov of the Kyrgyz Republic, and Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan.
The leaders officially ratified the border point located in the Fergana Valley which is situated at the intersection of the three countries, the most populous area in Central Asia, and having experienced several border disputes.
The presidents issued similar statements calling for enhanced integration and strengthened cooperation between nations, with a focus on energy and transportation projects to end the region's isolation.
This summit follows earlier border agreements signed in mid-March between Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic and between the Kyrgyz Republic and Uzbekistan in 2023. These agreements aim to jointly utilize substantial groundwater reserves in these agricultural regions.
