Based on the analysis of modern political processes, the article examines strategies and practices for overcoming protracted territorial differences between Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in the Ferghana Valley region. It is shown that the successful settlement of border disputes was the result of a complex of factors: a fundamental change in Uzbekistan’s foreign policy, which acted as a mediator; the parties’ awareness of the unacceptable cost of maintaining the status quo after bloody clashes; the influence of external actors interested in stability in the Central Asian region; economic pragmatism and the development of flexible settlement mechanisms, such as the principle of equivalent territorial exchange. The author concludes that the agreements reached, culminating in the signing of the trilateral border crossing agreement in March 2025, mark a qualitatively new stage of regional diplomacy based on pragmatism and mutual consideration of interests, and set a precedent for the peaceful resolution of complex territorial disputes in other regions of the world.