Both Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan host Russian military bases and maintain close ties with Russia
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have settled a decades-old border dispute that led to deadly clashes, including incidents in September 2022 and April 2021, which caused over 100 deaths and displaced thousands. Top security officials from both countries signed an agreement demarcating their borders over more than 970 km (600 miles), resolving disputes over certain sections. The border issues stem from Soviet-era demarcations that often split ethnic groups, and the new agreement could face opposition from groups in both countries. Both nations host Russian military bases and maintain close ties with Russia. Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, among the poorest in the region, have experienced significant unrest, including Tajikistan's 1990s civil war.
