Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have reached an agreement on the mutual exchange of convicted citizens. The agreement was ratified by law during a session of the Legislative Chamber of Uzbekistan’s Oliy Majlis on 31 January.

The document is now forwarded to the Senate for further approval. Previously, the law was approved by the Jogorku Kenesh of Kyrgyzstan.

The agreement on the transfer of convicts to serve their sentences in their home countries was signed on 18 July 2024, in Tashkent during the visit of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov.

According to Umutkan Konkubaeva, Deputy General Prosecutor of Kyrgyzstan, 42 Kyrgyz citizens are serving sentences in Uzbekistan, while 97 Uzbek citizens are in Kyrgyzstan. However, Abdushukur Khumzaev, Chairman of the Ecological Party of Uzbekistan, provided slightly different figures: 45 Kyrgyz citizens and 96 Uzbek citizens.

Member of the lower house of the Uzbek parliament, Kozimjon Tozhiev, explained that the exchange of convicts will take place via the "Dustlik"/"Dostuk" checkpoint on the Uzbek-Kyrgyz border.

The document also addresses issues such as the coverage of expenses for the transfer of convicts, dispute resolution mechanisms, official languages for communication between the parties, and other important aspects. The General Prosecutors of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan will be responsible for the implementation of the agreement.

Lawmakers emphasized that the agreement is aimed at facilitating the social rehabilitation of convicts, maintaining their family connections, and strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two countries.