Shavkat Mirziyoyev signs agreements on border with Kyrgyzstan

On November 30, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed the laws on the ratification of the agreement on separate sections of the state border between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyz Republic and the agreement on the joint management of water resources of the Andijan (Kempirabad) reservoir.

According to the information of the presidential press service, with the political will of the heads of state, the respect and good neighborliness between the two brotherly peoples has been strengthened, and the issues that have not been resolved for 30 years are being agreed upon.

These international agreements were signed during the visit of the delegation headed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan Vladimir Norov to Bishkek on November 3, 2022. Legislation was passed by the Legislative Chamber on November 14, 2022 and approved by the Senate on November 18, 2022. The laws of Kyrgyzstan on their ratification were signed by the President of the Kyrgyz Republic on November 29, 2022.

The agreement on separate sections of the state border between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyz Republic consists of 13 articles. In it, the line of the Uzbek-Kyrgyz state border with a total length of 302.29 km in 35 sections was determined.

Uzbekistan will receive 4,957 hectares of Andijan reservoir territory and an additional 19.5 hectares of land for maintenance and protection of the dam, and 1,019 hectares of pasture land will be given to Kyrgyzstan as compensation.

It was agreed that the issue of joint management of water resources of the Andijan reservoir and the site where the Chashma spring is located in the Sokh district will be regulated by separate agreements.

Until the demarcation works are completed in some sections of the Uzbek-Kyrgyz state border, control and guarding of the state border will be carried out along the boundaries of actual land use.

The agreement on joint management of water resources of Andijan (Kempirabad) reservoir consists of 11 articles. In it, the Joint Commission for the joint management of water resources of the Andijan Reservoir was formed (on the part of Uzbekistan - the Minister of Water Management) and the regulation on its activity was approved.

The authorities of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan responsible for the implementation of the Agreement (on the part of Uzbekistan - the Ministry of Water Management, the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the State Inspectorate for Safety Control of Water Management Facilities under the Cabinet of Ministers) and the procedure for their mutual cooperation were determined.

The mutual obligations of the parties to the Agreement on the joint management of water resources of the Andijan Reservoir were reflected.

The Uzbek side has undertaken to maintain the water level in the reservoir at a level not higher than 900 horizontal, to ensure the free access and use of the water of the reservoir by the citizens of Kyrgyzstan (giving water to animals, irrigation, fishing), and not to install engineering-technical structures around it. The Kyrgyz side has undertaken to ensure the establishment of water protection zones and compliance with the regime of its use.

The measures to be implemented by Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan to ensure the safety of the Andijan reservoir were agreed upon. According to it, the Uzbek side ensures the safety of the reservoir, operates it, provides technical service, releases water within the limits agreed with the Kyrgyz side.

“In general, by completing the delimitation of the border line, the relations between our countries will be strengthened and there will be no room for any disagreements.

The legal basis for joint management of water resources of Andijan reservoir will be created. It will be possible to continuously supply water to about 8,000 farms to grow 2.5 million tons of agricultural products and export products worth $500 million,” the press service of the President of Uzbekistan said.