World Bulletin / News Desk

Kyrgyzstan  has turned to Russia-led regional security body, Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), on Tuesday to address tensions with neighbor Uzbekistan after Uzbek armored vehicles and troops were deployed near their disputed border.

Uzbekistan deployed two armored personnel carriers and 40 troops to the disputed border section in the Chalasart area last Friday and closed the Madaniyat highway checkpoint on the border with Kyrgyzstan as well as imposing restrictions on Kyrgyz citizens’ entry at the Dostuk highway checkpoint.

In response to this, the Kyrgyz side sent two armored personnel carriers and special force troops to this area and stopped the passage of Uzbek citizens and their vehicles at three checkpoints leaving only one open at the border between the two countries. According to a report in TASS news agency, the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry fiiled a note of protest to Tashkent on March 18, demanding to remove the roadblocks in the disputed area.

 Kyrgyzstan's foreign ministry said "an extraordinary session" of the CSTO was held on Tuesday in Moscow and it was agreed to "monitor the situation" and will meet again today to discuss the matter further, the ministry said in a statement.