The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan said there had been no swap of the source of the Tortkul water storage reservoir.
On February 10, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan released an official statement in response to the statement by Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Ulukbek Maripov regarding territorial swap of the source of the Tortkul water storage reservoir. The Ministry had stated that this territory was undelineated, the press office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan reported.
The process of delimitation and demarcation of the state border between the two countries has not been completed, and the negotiations are ongoing, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says in its statement.
According to the Ministry, in compliance with international law, a strip of territory near the source is not demarcated. The Tajik officials called on the Kyrgyz officials to be more cautious about making any statement about demarcation.
On February 3, Maripov reported on swap of the beginning of the canal that ran to the Tortkul water storage reservoir to Tajikistan. This provoked much reaction in the society and among members of Parliament of Kyrgyzstan. A member of Parliament Tazabek Ikramov called on the Government to convene an emergency commission to sort out the situation. Disaffected citizens held meetings at the Government building in Bishkek.
The plenipotentiary representative in Batken region Zhanybek Zhalalov and the Prime Minister clarified that they were talking about the Kaiyrma canal, which was part of Tajikistan, located further the Golovnoy water intake.
