Let me join previous speakers in extending our congratulations to Ambassador Csaba Korosi on his election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-seventh session. I would also like to take this opportunity to pay a fitting tribute to his predecessor, Mr. Abdulla Shahid, for his effective guidance and excellent leadership during some of the most challenging and uneasy times for all of humankind.
Our world is going through turbulent times. We are witnessing a transformation of the existing world order. Issues such as terrorism, extremism, drug and arms trafficking, cybercrime and other forms of cross-border organized crime are threatening to increase exponentially. In order to discuss them further, the Government of Tajikistan, together with the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism and its partners, will be holding a high-level international conference in Dushanbe on 18 and 19 October on the theme of international and regional border security and management cooperation in countering terrorism and preventing the movement of terrorists. We invite everyone to attend that important conference.
Climate change, natural disasters, food insecurity and the ongoing impact of the pandemic, among other things, are adding further fuel to the fire. The international community needs tools that can help us deal with a rapidly deteriorating environment. Mechanisms that were established decades ago are now finding it difficult to cope with the emerging challenges. The world needs more robust multilateralism to tackle the toughest challenges, with the United Nations at the helm. Tajikistan therefore supports the Secretary- General’s efforts aimed at comprehensive reform of our Organization in order to strengthen its ability to respond rapidly and adequately to development needs and address contemporary threats efficiently.
We have a historic opportunity to steer change in a direction that benefits all humankind, and we should not waste it. I would like to address three additional topics my delegation feels are very important to our implementation of our road map — the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, water and climate change, and peace and security.
Tajikistan strongly affirms its commitments to the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As we are lagging behind on many of the SDGs, the Government of Tajikistan has taken bold steps to integrate them into our national policies and development plans. However, despite the substantial progress made towards their achievement, there are significant risks, such as climate-related hazards and disasters, that could slow or reverse Tajikistan’s path towards the realization of the 2030 Agenda and threaten agricultural productivity and food security.
This year the world has witnessed unprecedented water-related natural disasters. While we have all been struggling with their consequences, we are becoming increasingly aware that water is vital and a resource we must value, protect and manage effectively. We need actions that can make a real difference. Between 6 and 9 June, we held the second Dushanbe Water Decade Conference in Tajikistan, which has become a key preparatory meeting for the midterm review of the Water Action Decade in 2023. As the Assembly is aware, from 22 to 24 March the United Nations will convene only its second Water Conference in 46 years. The 2023 United Nations Water Conference will be a good opportunity for all of us to review and evaluate the progress that has been made, as well as the gaps and obstacles we have encountered, in realizing the goals of the Water Decade. Tajikistan and the Netherlands, leading the preparations for that global event, are working diligently and are determined to make the Conference a watershed moment for the whole world. That is why we have launched the Water Action Agenda as one of the outcomes of the 2023 United Nations Water Conference and expect and encourage everyone to come to the Conference with new commitments to enrich it. This is important and necessary not only for us today, but also for our children and our future generations.
The impact of climate change on water resources is another crucial topic that requires our concerted efforts. Alongside the increase in mud flows, floods, water scarcity and droughts, and changes in the hydrological cycle, today the accelerated melting of glaciers, the primary source of fresh water on the planet, is of great concern.
To that end, Tajikistan is actively promoting an integrated approach to addressing water and climate issues, including within the Water and Climate Coalition. During the Coalition’s first meeting, Mr. Emomali Rahmon, President of the Republic of Tajikistan, proposed declaring 2025 an international year of glacier preservation. We are currently working on a draft resolution to advance that initiative through the Second Committee of the General Assembly. We seek Member States’ constructive engagement and support for that important draft resolution.
The response to the ever-increasing threat of terrorism and extremism should be comprehensive, with the United Nations as a key coordinator.
For its part, Tajikistan has undertaken several measures in that direction. We have, among other things, adopted our National Strategy and Action Plan of the Republic of Tajikistan on Countering Terrorism and Extremism for 2021-2025 and expressed our readiness to tackle this issue.
Tajikistan strongly believes that small States should also have a greater chance to contribute to finding solutions for maintaining peace and security. Hence, following years of contributions to multilateralism through active participation in United Nations activities and processes and having unique experience in peacemaking and insightful knowledge about Afghanistan, the time has come for Tajikistan to seek, for the first time, a non-permanent seat on the Security Council for 2028-2029. We are looking forward to working closely with all Member States to gain trust and support for that vital campaign.
Tajikistan, a peace-loving country that went through a devastating, imposed civil war, is very aware of the cost and long-lasting consequences of war. Therefore, we cannot remain indifferent to the fate of our immediate neighbours — the noble people of Afghanistan, who have suffered enough for the past 40 years. They deserve peace and tranquility.
Exactly one year ago, in this same Hall, the President of Tajikistan, Mr. Emomali Rahmon, in his virtual message before the General Assembly, dedicated more than half of his statement to the situation in Afghanistan (see A/76/PV.11, annex III). His concerns and warnings, unfortunately, fell on deaf ears.
One year after the fall of Afghanistan, no inclusive Government has been formed, despite repeated calls from Afghans, regional countries and the international community for greater ethnic, political and geographical diversity in the de facto administrative structures. The country is on the verge of a humanitarian and economic catastrophe.
To ease the suffering of the Afghan people during these difficult times, Tajikistan has provided its infrastructure, territory and means of communication to all stakeholders and donor countries to deliver humanitarian assistance directly to the people of Afghanistan. We have also never stopped providing the people of Afghanistan with much-needed electricity since the Taliban came to power. The environment of intimidation and the deterioration in respect for human rights, including the rights of women and girls, is overwhelming.
Diverging opinions and existing internal contradictions within the Taliban and the emergence of additional armed opposition groups, including the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan and other terrorist groups, make the security situation in the country even more fragile. Furthermore, the Taliban’s inability to control its militants and other terrorist groups further complicates the already difficult situation. The recent discovery and killing of one of Al-Qaida’s top strategic minds in Kabul is a vivid testimony to those ties.
Afghanistan is rapidly becoming a safe haven for terrorist groups and a springboard for spreading the Taliban’s radical extremism. In addition, we are witnessing systematic work on transferring militant groups consisting of former nationals of Central Asia to the north of Afghanistan aimed at consolidating and creating a new hotbed of tensions near our border.
Unfortunately, the implications for Tajikistan, which shares 1,400 kilometres of border with that country, are enormous. In the current alarming situation, it is paramount for Tajikistan to strengthen its border with Afghanistan and create the necessary border infrastructure along its entire length.
At the same time, we believe that the participation of Afghanistan in the process of multifaceted regional cooperation is key to the success of the efforts undertaken by the international community.
On 20 September, the leader of the Kyrgyz Republic delivered his speech from this high rostrum and talked about the Kyrgyz version of the conflict on the Tajik-Kyrgyz border (see A/77/PV.4). It is regrettable that the issue of the settlement of the State border line between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, which we inherited from history, was groundlessly raised at the General Assembly.
I believe it is important to inform the Assembly that, on 19 September, the authorized representatives of the two sides signed a protocol on the settlement of the situation at the border. All hostilities have ceased. The troops and military equipment of both sides must be withdrawn to their places of permanent deployment. A joint inspection was organized in the border area. A joint task force has been set up to monitor the implementation of the agreement reached. Most importantly, both parties reaffirmed their commitment to resolving all bilateral issues exclusively by political and diplomatic means. Tajikistan has followed and will always follow that principle when any issues arise, including the settlement of the situation on the border.
It is with deep regret that Kyrgyzstan is deviating from the agreement reached, creating a false appearance of withdrawing troops and heavy military equipment from the line of contact by hiding them in populated areas near the border. Therefore, the responsibility for any next round of tensions on the Tajik-Kyrgyz border will lie exclusively with Kyrgyzstan.
The leader of our neighbouring country, in his speech, mentioned the death of its citizens and financial damage, creating the false impression that the tragedy on the border affected that country exclusively. The evidence says otherwise. As a result of the military aggression of Kyrgyzstan, more than 40 civilians of Tajikistan were killed, and approximately 200 were injured. The casualties included pregnant women, children, the elderly, doctors and devout Muslims who were attending the mourning ceremony in the mosque. In addition to border facilities, schools, hospitals, religious buildings, residential buildings, infrastructure and utilities were destroyed. Indeed, who is the aggressor there?
Tajikistan is currently channelling significant resources to rebuilding destroyed houses and vital infrastructure. The tragedy that happened in the border area was not accidental. Since the previous autumn, our neighbours have been preparing for aggression, which manifested as the creation of military infrastructure near our borders.
In recent years, our neighbours have often spoken, including from this high rostrum, about the importance of an international transport artery and the creation of favourable conditions for transportation, while advocating for the removal of barriers to economic cooperation, the simplification of border-crossing procedures and transit between countries and regions. At the same time, Kyrgyzstan often creates problems for the transit of goods to and from Tajikistan, delaying vehicles carrying thousands of tons of our cargo.
It is important to note that we have managed to successfully resolve the border issues with China and Uzbekistan through a lengthy process involving all parties. We have accumulated substantial experience, which is important to use in its entirety when resolving border issues on the basis of mutual respect, trust and openness.
Over the 20-year history of negotiations with Kyrgyzstan, we have signed dozens of protocols. However, as time passes and the political groups in power change, the country continuously revisits those documents and implements only the provisions that favour it exclusively, while ignoring the other provisions.
As of today, both countries have managed to agree on and develop a draft description of about 602 kilometres of our joint border, which is approximately 61 per cent of its total length.
Tajikistan, relying on the international practice of border delimitation, has repeatedly offered to its neighbours to record the results of those many years of work on paper by signing an agreement on separate sections of the border. But our neighbours strictly declined that proposal.
The leadership of Kyrgyzstan mentioned at this high rostrum the Agreement establishing the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Alma- Ata Declaration, presenting them as a legal framework for determining the State border. However, I must emphasize that the issue of determining the border line is not the subject of the regulation of those documents. To our deep regret, relying on its unilateral approach, since the 1950s, Kyrgyzstan has arbitrarily seized more than 2,110 square kilometres that rightfully belong to Tajikistan. Our neighbours have not mentioned anything about that, either.
I would like to inform the General Assembly that Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan have reached an agreement on the description of the State border line according to the documents of the national territorial delimitation of 1924-1927. Those documents have gone through all the constitutional procedures and, accordingly, are the only legal framework for continuing the negotiation process. Despite that, in order to show goodwill and maximum flexibility, we met our neighbour halfway and agreed to also use the documents of the 1989 parity commission proposed by Kyrgyzstan.
Border issues are not resolved by populist statements and the creation of crisis situations. We need daily, thoughtful, joint work based on the political will of the parties. We stand ready to continue negotiations. We firmly believe that the Tajik and Kyrgyz peoples have the right to live together and build together an atmosphere of peace, friendship and harmony.
Tajikistan, having survived the horrors of internal conflict, understands the value of peace and will make every effort to ensure that security and stability reign in our region.