In an interview with the Kabar information agency, Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov said that the country’s external debt is “not a problem.” According to Japarov, Kyrgyzstan’s external debt now stands at $4.5 billion. “We are not afraid of the external debt now. Before 2020, we had reasons to worry. In 2020, Kyrgyzstan’s state budget was
The Council of the European Union (EU) has appointed Mr Eduards Stiprais as the new EU Special Representative for Central Asia. Stiprais will take up his duties on 1 March 2025 with an initial mandate of two years, succeeding Terhi Hakala. According to the European Council, the task of the new Special Representative will be to promote relations between
On February 24, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov and Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan Adylbek Kasymaliyev held talks in Astana. Kasymaliyev is on his first official visit abroad since the appointment as the head of the Kyrgyz Cabinet of Ministers in December, which testifies to Kazakhstan’s importance for Kyrgyzstan. According to
On February 24, the UK announced new sanctions targeting those who continue to aid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The sanctions target Russia’s military machine and entities in third countries who support it. In particular, the UK has imposed sanctions on the Kyrgyzstan-based OJSC Keremet Bank for its alleged role in supporting Russia’s war machine. On
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) announced the launch of a new initiative aimed at strengthening the handicraft value chain in Kyrgyzstan as part of the Aid for Trade project. This project is designed to enhance the production and export potential of Kyrgyzstan’s traditional felt and leather products (handicrafts), which have growing demand in both foreign markets
A public-private partnership agreement on the “Trans-Eurasian Route” railway project was signed in Bishkek on February 19 between the National Investment Agency under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Kyrgyzstan’s national railway company Kyrgyz Temir Zholu, and US-based consortium All American Rail Group Global Infrastructure Partner LLC, the National Investment Agency announced. The project will
The Council of the European Union (EU) has announced that the President of the European Council, António Costa, along with the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, will be travelling to Uzbekistan for the first-ever EU-Central Asia summit on 3-4 April 2025, with the participation of the presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan,
Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov on February 14 laid the foundation stone for the construction of a new airport complex at the International Airport of Osh, the country’s second-largest city. According to the presidential press service, the new terminal will have more comfortable conditions for passengers, including a spacious hall, modern check-in areas, a food court,
On February 13, the first meeting of the Kyrgyz-British Strategic Dialogue was held in London, chaired by Deputy Foreign Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic Meder Abakirov and the UK Minister of State for Europe and Central Asia Stephen Doughty, the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry reported. During the meeting, delegations discussed key areas of cooperation between the
King’s College London recently hosted the first-ever summit of the Central Asian Youth Alliance (CAYA) – a landmark event bringing together young people from Central Asian countries, ambassadors, representatives of diplomatic missions, and experts in education and international cooperation, the Kyrgyz Embassy in London reported. The Minister of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic,
The Ministry of Economy and Commerce of Kyrgyzstan and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China have signed a memorandum facilitating trips of organized tourist groups from China to Kyrgyzstan. The document will contribute to the development of Kyrgyzstan’s tourism industry, stimulating the country’s economic growth. According to the Ministry of Economy and Commerce,
According to official statistics, the number of individuals who crossed the border of Kyrgyzstan in 2024 exceeded 16.9 million, including 2.5 million citizens of Kazakhstan — 120,000 more than in 2023. The figures were revealed by Deputy Director of the Department of Tourism under the Ministry of Economy and Commerce of the Kyrgyz Republic, Kyyal
The integration of Central Asian states and the formation of a common space for cooperation have always been considered an inevitable process that will sooner or later determine the main trends in the region’s development. The very understanding of Central Asia, based on historical, cultural and religious commonalities, is not about creating new but rather
On February 5 in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov, who was in China on a state visit. As reported by Xinhua, Xi said that bilateral relations have achieved leapfrog development in recent years and been elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era. He said that
In an interview with Xinhua news agency ahead of his state visit to China, Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov lauded strategic partnership between the two countries and said that China is one of Kyrgyzstan’s main trade and investment partners. The text of the interview was published on Japarov’s official website. President Japarov said that Kyrgyzstan deeply
In 2024, Kyrgyzstan’s gross international reserves grew by $1,851,600,000 and reached $5,088,100,000, a 57.2% increase compared to 2023, Melis Turgunbaev, the Chairman of the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic (NBKR), wrote on his Facebook page. According to Turgunbaev, one of the key factors behind the increase in reserves was the rising price of gold,
On January 30 in Almaty, Kazakhstan Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov held talks with the Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic Adylbek Kasymaliyev to discuss cooperation in trade, economy, water, transport and logistics, energy, cultural and humanitarian spheres, and tourism. Bektenov noted that bilateral trade for the first 11 months of last
On January 29, under UN Resident Coordinator and the technical leadership of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision of the Kyrgyz Republic started preparation of Kyrgyzstan’s new Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), known as NDCs 3.0. These plans set emission reduction targets for 2035 that align with
On January 27, Kyrgyzstan’s Minister of Energy Taalaibek Ibrayev, Uzbekistan’s Minister of Energy Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Minister of Energy Sungat Yesimkhanov, and the World Bank Regional Director for Central Asia Tatiana Proskuryakova met in Tashkent to discuss further steps in the construction of the Kambarata-1 Hydropower Plant (HPP) in Kyrgyzstan. This major regional
Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov has signed into law amendments to the country’s legislation regulating the religious sphere. The amendments were passed by the Kyrgyz parliament on December 26, 2024 with the purpose to ensure the rights and establish the responsibility of citizens and religious associations in their religious activities in accordance with the Law “On
