Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan signed on Thursday a border agreement seen as key for the stability of Central Asia, a move that follows three decades of conflict between the two former Soviet republics over water resources and land.

“IEA welcomes the border demarcation agreement signed between the Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said. A statement from the ministry said Kabul viewed the resolution of the long-standing issue through mutual understanding as a positive step toward regional stability and economic growth.

Border tensions between the two neighbours have erupted in the form of skirmishes over the past decade, according to news reports.

The agreement on the state border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan was signed in Bishkek on March 13 by Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov and his Tajik counterpart Emomali Rahmon.

The presidents of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan signed a deal on Thursday on demarcating their shared frontier, seeking to end a long-running border conflict that has seen dozens killed in skirmishes in recent years.

The presidents of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan on March 13 signed a historic border deal to conclusively demarcate their frontier and end disagreements that have plagued bilateral relations for three decades,