Kyrgyzstan considers conflict with Tajikistan as premeditated aggression - ministry

Kyrgyzstan’s foreign ministry said on Sunday it considers the border conflict with Tajikistan as a premeditated armed aggression, Qazet.az reports.

"The Kyrgyz foreign ministry thinks it important to state that it considers the September 14-17, 2022 developments on its sovereign territory as Tajikistan’s premediated armed act of aggression against our state," the ministry’s press service said in a statement on Sunday.

"The Tajik side’s ungrounded accusations of committing ‘an act of armed aggression against Tajikistan’ are a void attempt to shift the responsibility and blame onto Kyrgyzstan," the ministry said. "The Tajik side has launched a wide disinformation campaign geared to discredit Kyrgyzstan’s defensive actions."

According to the ministry, "Tajik foreign ministry’s and other competent bodies’ information is not true." The Kyrgyz side "has evidence (photo and video materials) featuring the beginning of the aggression and the atrocities and crimes committed by Tajik servicemen on Kyrgyzstan’s territory," the ministry said, adding the Kyrgyz side "is ready to present this evidence" if need be.

"We note that despite the numerous ceasefire agreements the Tajik side continues its provocative shelling attacks and captured several settlements in Kyrgyzstan’s Batken region: Dostuk, Aksay, International, Zhashtyk, Borborduk, Arka, Kulundu," the Kyrgyz foreign ministry said, adding that the Kyrgyz side "was acting exclusively from defensive positions and had no aim of seizing the neighbor’s territory, unlike the Tajik side, which treacherously infringed upon Kyrgyzstan’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, which once again proves that Tajikistan has territorial claims."

Bishkek demanded Dushanbe "drop its futile plans of infringing upon Kyrgyzstan’s territories and its goals of escalating the situation in the border areas.".