“Kazakhstan will refuse this”: expert on land exchange with Kyrgyzstan

Tengrinews.kz – Political commentator Gaziz Abishev has commented on a proposal to exchange territories between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. He shared his opinion on the matter on his Telegram channel.

The comment came after a statement by the press secretary of the President of Kyrgyzstan about a possible exchange of equivalent land plots between the two countries. The matter concerns a section of about 800 meters near the city of Tokmok, which, according to the Kyrgyz side, is needed for the construction of a toll highway.

Why Kazakhstan may not support a territory exchange

According to Abishev, Kazakhstan’s position on the matter will be clear.

“I believe the Kazakh side will reject this proposal. First of all, territory is a taboo subject. Kazakhstan once made enormous efforts to secure its state borders. Every square kilometer was discussed in detail: in some places there were exchanges, in others concessions, and elsewhere Kazakhstan stood its ground. This was an important stage in Kazakhstan’s history, and it was successfully completed,” Abishev wrote.

He noted that Kazakhstan’s state borders have already been fully delimited and demarcated, and their international legal formalization has been completed.

“The matter is closed. Reopening this issue, even for the sake of several square kilometers, makes no sense. There are no territorial disputes between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The common border has been signed. The junction points with Uzbekistan and China have been signed. Full stop,” Abishev noted.

What Kazakhstan’s new constitution says

Abishev recalled that the preamble of the new Constitution refers to the inviolability of Kazakhstan’s borders. Article 2 also emphasizes that “the state ensures the inviolability and inalienability of its territory.”

Abishev named the risk of creating a precedent as another argument against such decisions.

“Kazakhstan’s borders are inviolable. If we begin revising them with one country, sooner or later other countries may come forward with similar proposals. Today, businesspeople and bureaucrats may try to persuade politicians to change the status quo. Tomorrow, such decisions may lead to unpredictable consequences. The issue of land and territory is the foundation of comprehensive stability in international relations. It is not up for discussion,” the political commentator concluded.

It should be noted that Kyrgyzstan has already used a similar approach in settling border issues with Uzbekistan. According to the press secretary of the President of Kyrgyzstan, two villages became part of Kyrgyzstan as part of the demarcation of the state border with Uzbekistan. In exchange, land plots of equivalent size were transferred to the Uzbek side.