CAUCASUS, CENTRAL AND SOUTH ASIA Uzbekistan Reopens Border Checkpoints with Tajikistan OE Watch Commentary: The President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, has made improving relations “Over the past eight years only two border checkpoints with neighboring states a priority since taking office operated between the two countries – Tursunzade-Sariosiyo in December 2016. The accompanying excerpts from Uzbek and Tajik sources report on the government of and Fotekhobod-Oybek.” Uzbekistan’s recent decision to reopen several checkpoints Source: “Узбекистан обустраивает старые и открывает новые КПП on the Uzbek-Tajik border after years of remaining closed (Uzbekistan is equipping old and opening new border checkpoints),” Anhor, 24 under former President Islam Karimov. This could be February 2018. https://anhor.uz/news/uzbekistan-obustraivaet-starie-i-otkrivaet- the most significant of Mirziyoyev’s efforts to improve novie-kpp relations in the region, as Uzbekistan’s relationship with The government of Uzbekistan reached a decision on the resumption of activities Tajikistan under Karimov stood as the worst compared to of some border checkpoints on the Uzbek-Tajik border…Another important relationships with other regional governments. announcement is that a new checkpoint will be set up in the Samarkand The article from Anhor, a Russian language news Oblast, located in the village of Jartepa, Urgut District…a number of different website in Uzbekistan, reports on the recent decision disagreements regularly took place between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, including the demarcation of the border. However, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, after coming to and that “a new checkpoint will be set up in the power, engaged in a “reset” of relations with neighboring states, in particular Samarkand Oblast, located in the village of Jartepa, Urgut Tajikistan… District.” The article also notes that there were regular disagreements between the Tajik and Uzbek governments Source: Yuldashev, Avaz. “На таджикско-узбекской границе сегодня начнут on the demarcation of the border, though it does not функционировать десять ранее закрытых КПП (Nine previously closed border mention that the two sides stated they would work on checkpoints have started operating today on the Tajik-Uzbek border),” Asia-Plus, resolving undemarcated sections of the border in the near 1 March 2018. http://news.tj/ru/news/tajikistan/politics/20180301/na-tadzhiksko- future. uzbekskoi-granitse-segodnya-nachnut-funktsionirovat-desyat-ranee-zakritih-kpp The article from Asia-Plus, a Russian-language news …Today (these border checkpoints) began to operate: website in Tajikistan, lists all of the border checkpoints - “Jartepa,” connecting (Tajik) Penjikent and Uzbek (Samarkand) that are now open, including the “railway crossing - “Kushkent” and “Uchturgan,” connecting (Tajik) Ganchi and Zafarabad ‘Amuzang,’ connecting the Surkhandarya Oblast of and (Uzbek) Jizzak Uzbekistan with the Tajik rail station ‘Khoshadi’ in the - “Khavastabad” and “Bekabad,” connecting the Tajik District of Spitamen Khatlon Oblast.” The article from Avesta, a Russian- with the (Uzbek) Syrdarya and Tashkent Oblasts language news website, also reports on the reopening - “Pap,” connecting the Asht District of the Sughd Oblast with the Namangan of the rail line and how “in November 2011 Uzbekistan Oblast of Uzbekistan suspended all rail traffic” and in 2012, the government - “Ravat,” connecting the city of Kanibadam with the Fergana Oblast reportedly “removed some of the rail line.” The - “Gulbahor,” connecting the Shakhritus District, Khatlon Oblast with the suspension of traffic on this rail line stood as one of a Surkhandarya Oblast number of measures Karimov took against Tajikistan - The railway crossing “Amuzang,” connecting the Surkhandarya Oblast of over the years as the relationship between the two sides Uzbekistan with the Tajik rail station “Khoshadi” in the Khatlon Oblast remained strained, but none of the articles mention the …Over the past eight years only two border checkpoints operated between the two minefields along sections of the Uzbek-Tajik border. countries – Tursunzade-Sariosiyo and Fotekhobod-Oybek. Two other checkpoints The government of Uzbekistan placed land mines on closed under the (former) President Islam Karimov resumed operations at the sections of the Uzbek-Tajik border in the early 2000s beginning of the year, “Andarkhon-Patar” and “Kushtigermon”… in response to incursions carried out by the Islamic Source: “Первый поезд из таджикского Хатлона проследует через узбекский Movement of Uzbekistan in 1999 and 2000. The Uzbek Амузанг 7 марта (The first train from Tajikstan’s Khatlon will travel through government removed some of the mines in the years since Uzbekistan’s Amuzang on 7 March),” Avesta, 1 March 2018. then, but it is unknown what sections of the Uzbek-Tajik http://avesta.tj/2018/03/01/pervyj-poezd-iz-tadzhikskogo-hatlona-prosleduet- border remain mined or how Mirziyoyev might deal with cherez-uzbekskij-amuzang-7-marta/ it. In any case, Mirziyoyev’s decision to reopen a number of checkpoints on the Uzbek-Tajik border is significant The first passenger train on the “Kulyab-Moscow” route is expected to travel and it will be worth watching how Uzbek-Tajik relations through the railway checkpoint “Khoshadi” (Amazung) on 7 March. Remember that in November 2011 Uzbekistan suspended all rail traffic on the Galaba- develop. End OE Watch Commentary (Stein) Amuzang line (connecting to Khatlon Oblast, Tajikistan). In the spring of 2012 Uzbekistan removed some of the rail line… OE Watch | April 2018 57.