Kyrgyzstan is not giving the reservoir on the border to Uzbekistan, it is taking it back – Japarov

Kyrgyzstan is not giving the Kampirabad reservoir to Uzbekistan, but is taking it back.  This was announced by the President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov in an interview with the "Kabar" agency.

Sadyr Japarov stated that the reservoir has been controlled by the Uzbekistan side since the 1960s, and noted that joint management is being established within the framework of the agreement reached.

"We jointly manage the dam on a 50/50 basis.  Thus, we control that the water level does not exceed 900. Now it is possible to release water to the villages closest to the reservoir.  Before that, there were no such opportunities," - the President explained.

At the same time, the head of state drew attention to archival documents, which state that the dam was built by Uzbekistan in 1965.

“We haven't invested a penny in it.  In 1965, Uzbekistan gave us 4,127 hectares of land in the border areas of Botken, Osh, and Jalalabad in exchange for the land that was submerged," - Japarov said.

In an interview, the president said that the provocateurs are now shouting that they had given away this land.

He also added that the Kyrgyz side built houses on the land, used it for agriculture, and is still using it.

"They are making a conflict out of this and say that we have given away Kampirabad.  This is nonsense.  We need to put an end to border disputes!" -concluded the President.

It should be remembered that the head of the State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan, Kamchibek Tashiyev, announced that Kyrgyzstan will receive more than 19,000 hectares of land, and Uzbekistan will receive 4,485 hectares of land in the water area of the Kampirabad reservoir.  It has been agreed that the two countries will jointly manage the reservoir.