As part of a working visit to Kyrgyzstan, Chairman of the Tourism Committee of Uzbekistan Abdulaziz Akkulov held meetings with the management of Kyrgyzstan’s Asman Airlines and Aero Nomad Airlines. The parties explored opportunities to expand air connectivity between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, develop joint tourism products, and increase the flow of tourists between the two countries,
Chairman of the Tourism Committee of Uzbekistan Abdulaziz Akkulov held a meeting with Eduard Kubatov, Director of the State Agency for Tourism Development of Kyrgyzstan to discuss further strengthening of bilateral cooperation in tourism, increasing mutual tourist flows, developing new joint tourism products and cross-border travel routes, and creating additional economic opportunities for the regions
We are living through a profound shift in the relationship between education and work — and nowhere is that shift more consequential than in Central Asia. Artificial intelligence is not coming to education. It is already here. It is in the assignments students submit, the tools employers use to screen candidates, and increasingly in the
Representatives of the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic, the City of Osh, the Government of Japan, the Centre for Emergency Situations and Disaster Risk Reduction, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), technical institutions, academia, civil society and development partners gathered in Osh on 10 July to launch a new regional initiative aimed at strengthening disaster risk
Delegates from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, as well as leading scientists and experts from countries across Europe and Asia, attended the International Summer School “Glacier Study, Conservation and Climate Change Adaptation” (IPROMO) in the city of Naryn, Kyrgyzstan between 24 June and 7 July. The school served as a platform for consolidating scientific
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, says it is investing in Umai Group, Kyrgyzstan’s largest grocery retailer, to create more and better jobs, improve food distribution, and expand access to affordable, quality food across the country. Umai Group is the country’s leading grocery retailer, with more than 24 years of experience in developing
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) are launching a new program to strengthen the resilience of water systems in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in response to growing climate pressures on water resources and services. The Resilient Water Systems program, which combines €100 million of loans from the EBRD and
Presidential Representative for Special Assignments Bakyt Torobayev recently visited the modernized Junda (Zhongda) oil refinery and ordered its management to increase motor fuel production in an effort to reduce Kyrgyzstan’s dependence on gasoline imports. Junda is Kyrgyzstan’s largest oil refinery, located in the town of Kara-Balta, 60 kilometers west of Bishkek. The refinery is undergoing
The more time passes after the Issyk-Kul Forum held in Kyrgyzstan in June, the more I realize that its greatest value was not found in the official sessions or ceremonial speeches. It was found in the people, the ideas, and the honest conversations that continued long after the formal programme had ended. Chingiz Aitmatov’s legacy
THE SILK ROAD’S NEW REALITY In 2013, China’s newly nominated President Xi Jinping gave a much-heeded speech in Astana, Kazakhstan’s brushed-up capital. His main concern focused on nothing less than how to invigorate the ancient Silk Roads, “in order to promote people-to-people friendship”. After eleven years, in 2024, jointly with Kazakhstan’s President Tokayev, Xi Jinping
From June 26-27, the U.S. Army Civil-Military Support Element (CMSE), in partnership with the Red Crescent Society of Kyrgyzstan (RCSK) and the American Corner in Naryn, helped improve eye health in Naryn through a comprehensive medical intervention and education program called “Naryn Eye”. A group of U.S. Army medical providers began a Medical Civic Action
One of the most moving and symbolic moments of the Issyk-Kul Forum earlier this month was the unveiling of a memorial bust dedicated to Murat Auezov, an Honorary Member of the Eurasian Creative Guild, in the garden of the House-Museum and Library of his great father, Mukhtar Auezov, in Cholpon-Ata. For me, this was far
An Afghan–Kyrgyz Forum was held in Bishkek with the participation of business representatives from both countries, including officials of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and the Kyrgyz government, TOLOnews reported. Addressing the forum, Abdul Shakoor Haqqani, acting head of the Afghan Embassy in Bishkek, emphasized expanding bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, and transportation. An agreement
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) continues to support the Government of Kyrgyzstan in developing instruments that strengthen export potential and enhance the competitiveness of domestic companies in international markets. Within the framework of the UNDP’s Trade Facilitation project, in cooperation with the Open Joint Stock Company State Insurance Organization, work has been carried out
Over the past three decades, the post-Soviet space has embraced megaprojects with a fervour reminiscent of Soviet-era “gigantomania”. A new terminal, a new city, a new tech hub, a new railway – each presented as a leap into the future. Too many of these projects have turned out not to be engines of growth, but
Kyrgyzstan has put into operation the first phase of a new solar power plant, ROX Issyk-Kul, located in the village of Kyzyl-Oruk in the Issyk-Kul region. The facility has been constructed by Vietnam’s ROX Group, with the investment in the 175-megawatt first phase totaling $131 million. All phases of this solar power plant will have
Protecting nature requires effective systems that ensure resources are managed transparently, efficiently, and sustainably. Recognizing this, the UNDP Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) in Kyrgyzstan supported the Forest Service under the Ministry of Emergency Situation of the Kyrgyz Republic in modernizing its Automated Information System “Forest Management” (AIS), helping to strengthen financial administration and digital service
President Sadyr Japarov has signed amendments to legislative acts on road safety. The amendments were passed by the Jogorku Kenesh (parliament) on April 15, 2026, toughening penalties for drunk driving. The new legislation introduces criminal liability for drivers caught for repeated drunk driving. Drunk driving committed within a year after a first such offence will
The World Bank Group has approved the Kyrgyz Republic Innovative Finance for Resilient and Sustainable Energy Transition Project (iFIRST). This initiative is designed to help the country use electricity more efficiently, support reforms in the energy sector, and reduce emissions. The $50 million project financing will be provided via results-based finance, with $35 million in firm
Forty years after its establishment, the legendary Issyk-Kul International Forum is returning to Kyrgyzstan. The 40th-anniversary Issyk-Kul International Forum will take place from June 18 to 21 in Bishkek and on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul. Founded in 1986 by legendary writer Chingiz Aitmatov, the forum has brought together outstanding scientists, writers, philosophers, public figures