Azerbaijan, Baku, July 22 / Trend E. Kosolapova/
The bilateral negotiations on cross-border channel 'Bystrotok' between Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan started in Bishkek on Monday, Kyrtag reported with the reference to Kyrgyz Government's special representative on the borders delimitation and demarcation Kurbanbay Iskenderov.
"A Kazakh delegation has arrived to Bishkek. The talks have started. The first issue of the agenda is 'Bystrotok' channel, the second is demarcation and delimitation of the borders," Iskenderov said.
The negotiations will last four days and the parties plan to sign a bilateral agreement as a result of the negotiations.
"We do not have the areas disputed with Kazakhstan. We just need to agree on parcel of land in Kara Kok-Sai village in Kara Buura district," he said.
The residents of Kyrgyz Kara Buura district blocked the 'Bystrotok' channel flowing towards Kazakhstan on July 7. They demanded to review the agreement with Kazakhstan from 2001 on the delimitation and demarcation of borders, ratified by the Kyrgyz Parliament in 2008. According to the agreement, a land site where Kyrgyz farmers grazed cattle passed to Kazakhstan.
On July 16 the Kazakh embassy in Kyrgyzstan sent a note to the Kyrgyz authorities with a claim to take immediate measures aimed at resuming water supply through 'Bystrotok' channel.
"The illegal activity which contradicts to the earlier reached agreements on transboundary water resources and common norms of international law led to a lack of water not only in Kazakh Zhambyl region's Zhualynskiy area but also in the Kyrgyz villages located lower near the channel," the embassy said.
The water flow through Bystrotok was restored on July 17. Meanwhile Kazakhstan allowed Kyrgyz farmers to graze cattle on its territory near the channel.