Russia Ready To Mediate Border Conflict Between Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan - Lavrov

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th May, 2020) Russia calls on Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to refrain from using force amid reports of clashes on the border between the two countries and Moscow is ready to mediate the dispute if a request is made, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday.

"The situation on the border between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, not for the first time, has unfortunately escalated. We urge our allies to engage in dialogue, to refrain from using force as much as possible, and we have offered to mediate. We believe the sooner the situation calms down, the better, and we told our allies that today," Lavrov said after a meeting of foreign ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).

Shootouts on the partially-demarcated border between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan have become increasingly common in recent weeks. The latest incident, which resulted in border guides from both countries opening fire on one another, took place on Sunday after Tajik farmers reportedly tried to graze cattle on Kyrgyz territory.

In a separate incident that took place on May 8, residents from Kyrgyzstan's southern Batken region and Tajikistan's northern Sughd province began throwing rocks at each other. The situation escalated after both sides opened fire, which lead to Tajik border guards shelling their Kyrgyz counterparts with mortar rounds.

Both Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are members of the CSTO security alliance, which aims to strengthen regional security. Russia currently holds the rotating chairmanship of the organization, of which Armenia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan are also members.