The President of Kyrgyzstan said on Tuesday, September 20, he was ready to negotiate with his neighbor Tajikistan after clashes that left nearly 100 dead, while promising before the UN General Assembly not to give up "
one centimeter
" of territory.
Clashes with heavy weapons erupted last week on the border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, two countries in Central Asia and former Soviet republics with relations undermined by territorial disputes linked in particular to access to water resources.
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On Monday, Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov called on his people to unite and said his army was capable of repelling any invasion.
In New York, for the 77th General Assembly of the United Nations, Sadyr Japarov indicated that some 140,000 Kyrgyz had been evacuated from the 970 km long border with Tajikistan.
"
For the interest of my people, I am ready to spend (...) the time it will take to resolve this issue once and for all
," said the leader at the UN platform.
He pleaded for a "
mutually beneficial solution
" for both countries.
But while declaring himself ready to discuss, Sadyr Japarov also accused Tajikistan of having perpetrated "
unjustified armed aggression " against his country, which "
consequently
" reserves
the right to "
respond
" to it.
"
The Kyrgyz side does not claim any foreign territory and does not intend to give anyone an inch of its territory
," the president insisted.
President Japarov also met with the UN Secretary General.
Antonio Guterres "
repeated his call for dialogue and an end to violence
," his spokesperson said in a statement.