Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and his Tajik counterpart Emomali Rahmon signed an agreement on the state border in Bishkek on Thursday, resolving a long-standing dispute that had been a source of conflict in recent years.

The document, under negotiation since 2002, was signed at the Cohesion Centre, Kyrgyzstan’s state residence, during Rahmon’s official visit to Bishkek.

The two presidents also issued a joint statement pledging to take all necessary steps to strengthen the bilateral economic cooperation.

The nearly 1,000-kilometre (621-mile) Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan border has been a recurring flashpoint for conflict, with the most severe clashes seen in 2021 and 2022.

In 2021, three days of fighting claimed the lives of 36 Kyrgyz citizens and 19 Tajik citizens.

In September 2022, two days of clashes left a total of at least 100 people dead and forced the evacuation of around 140,000 people.