Tajikistan and Uzbekistan row over "economic blockade"

A bitter and very public row has broken out between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, highlighting their increasingly strained relations.

Tajikistan is one of Central Asia's poorest countries
A donkey carries a load in Tajikistan, one of Central Asia's poorest countries Credit: Photo: REUTERS

Tajikistan has accused Uzbekistan of imposing an economic blockade around it to try to trigger a humanitarian catastrophe and destabilise the country, allegations senior Uzbek politicians have dismissed as groundless.

The row between the two former Soviet states threatens to destabilise Central Asia just as NATO is building good will in the region. In 2014 NATO plans to extract most of its heavy military equipment from Afghanistan through Central Asia.

In a strongly worded statement, Tajikistan accused the Uzbeks of blocking railway links and cutting gas supplies.

“The situation, if it continues, will lead to the further deterioration of the conditions of life of the people of Tajikistan and threatens to turn into a humanitarian catastrophe,” the Tajik news agency Asia-Plus this week quoted the statement as saying.

Tajikistan is one of the poorest of the Central Asian states. One of its only natural resources is water which runs off the Pamir mountains down to Uzbekistan and irrigates the lucrative cotton fields.

Uzbekistan, though, controls the gas pipeline network and rail system into Tajikistan, giving it a large degree of economic control over its neighbour.

Uzbekistan has been especially irked over the last few years by a Tajik-Iranian project to build hydro-electric dams. The dams would reduce Tajikistan’s dependence on power from Uzbekistan as well as siphon off vital water supplies.

The Uzbek government responded to the Tajik accusations by describing them as nonsense.

“The position of the government and relevant economic structures of Uzbekistan is absolutely justified, fully compliant with international law and any claims of the Tajik parties are baseless,” Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the Uzbek prime minister said in a statement.

Uzbekistan cut gas to Tajikistan on April 1, a move it said was both in line with its contractual obligations towards Tajikistan and necessary to fulfil a new contract with China.