Askat Alagozov, the press secretary for the President of Kyrgyzstan, confirmed the transfer. The two villages have a combined population of approximately 2,500 residents, the majority of whom are ethnic Kyrgyz. Local authorities are scheduled to begin census and registration procedures in the settlements shortly, after which the residents will be granted Kyrgyz citizenship.
In return for these territories, Kyrgyzstan has transferred border land plots of equal surface area to Uzbekistan.
The bilateral agreement also includes an additional exchange of equal-value land parcels totaling 236 hectares. This specific swap was designed to facilitate the construction of a new highway connecting the villages of Say and Tayan. The infrastructure project is expected to significantly improve regional connectivity, reducing the travel distance between Aidarken and Batken to just 55 kilometers, down from the current 225-kilometer bypass route.
Alongside the Uzbek negotiations, Kyrgyzstan has reached out to Kazakhstan with a similar proposal. Bishkek has offered Astana an equal land swap covering an 800-meter section of road near the city of Tokmok. If approved, the exchange will enable the development of a toll highway spanning roughly 150 kilometers, running from Almatinskaya Street to the city of Kemin.
