In Tajikistan, a person who is living on territory that is transferred to a different State, has the right to choose Tajik nationality by option in terms and in a manner defined in Tajikistan’s international treaties.176 According to the citizenship laws of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, nationality can also be acquired under the terms of multilateral and bilateral treaties.177 A number of such agreements have been concluded between States in the region or between these States and other States in the Former Soviet Union, as well as Mongolia. Only a few examples of these agreements are referred to below. An Agreement between Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Russian Federation and Belarus in February 1999, offers mutually simplified procedures for acquiring nationality.178 Anyone born or resident in one of these States before 21 December 1991 is entitled to apply for its citizenship by a simplified procedure (through registration). Anyone with a close relative who is a citizen of the State is also entitled to apply for nationality under this procedure. Applicants need to establish that they themselves are permanent residents of the State where they apply for citizenship but no specific length of residence is otherwise required.179 Applicants who apply to renounce their existing citizenship are to keep this citizenship until a decision has been made on their application for a new citizenship, which acts as a safeguard against statelessness.180 Acquisition of citizenship by treaty involves registration at the nearest police department.181 Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan each have bilateral agreements with Ukraine. These offer a simplified procedure for renouncing a citizenship and simultaneously acquiring a new nationality, but involve a residence requirement. These agreements also contain safeguards against statelessness in situations where citizens renounce one citizenship to acquire another. In these situations the former State can only register the loss of nationality two months after receiving information that the person has acquired the nationality of the other State.182 A bilateral agreement between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, enabled about 10,000 stateless refugees from Tajikistan in Kyrgyzstan to acquire Kyrgyz nationality, by a simplified procedure in 2004-07.183 Up to 270,000 Crimean Tatars, deported to Central Asia in 1944, began returning to Ukraine en masse after the break-up of the USSR. Up to 195,000 of them and their descendants returned from Uzbekistan, up to 35,500 from the Russian Federation, up to 13,500 from Kazakhstan, up to 11,500 from Tajikistan, up to 8,500 from Kyrgyzstan and up to 5,500 from other countries. A temporary agreement on cooperation between Uzbekistan and Ukraine for resolving the citizenship problems of persons who were formerly displaced, and their descendants, was in place from October 1998 to December 1999, and again from November 2000 to December 2001. It facilitated the resettlement and naturalization of up to 90,000 Crimean Tatars in Ukraine. It enabled them simultaneously to give up Uzbek citizenship and to acquire Ukrainian nationality at the Ukrainian 176 Article 26, 1995 Citizenship Law of Tajikistan. Article 10, 1991 Citizenship Law of Kazakhstan; Article 11, 2007 Citizenship Law of Kyrgyzstan; Article 12, 1992 Citizenship Law of Uzbekistan. 178 Article 1(1), Agreement between the Republics of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and the Russian Federation on a Simplified Procedure for Citizenship Acquisition, dated 26 February 1999. 16 December 1991 is the date on which Kazakhstan became an independent State. 179 Ibid, Article 1(2). 180 Ibid, Article 2(3). 181 Ibid, Article 2(2). 182 Agreement between Ukraine and Kazakhstan on a Simplified Procedure for Acquisition and Termination of Citizenship for Permanent Residents and the Prevention of Statelessness and Dual Nationality, May 2000; Agreement between Ukraine and Tajikistan on a Simplified Procedure for Citizenship Acquisition, for Ukrainians Permanently Resident in Tajikistan and Tajiks Permanently Resident in Ukraine, July 2001; Agreement between Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan on Altering the Citizenship of Permanent Residents and Preventing Statelessness and Dual Nationality, January 2003, cited by President Yushchenko of Ukraine, on 13 October 2008, see www.president.gov.ua/ru/news/11639.html?PrintVersion. 183 Agreement between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan Giving Citizens of Tajikistan a Simplified Procedure for Acquiring Kyrgyz Citizenship, June 2002. 177 ~ 27 ~