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
Afghanistan Uzbekistan Kyrgyzstan China Rail Corridor Update The Afghan Ministry of Public Works said that the quadrilateral rail-economic corridor agreement between Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and China has been extended for the year 2025, TOLOnews reported. Mohammad Ashraf Haqshenas, the ministry’s spokesperson, stated that the deputy minister of public works signed the agreement during his visit
Kyrgyzstan Sanctions: Discussions on Removal Progress On January 22, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic Meder Abakirov invited U.S. Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic Lesslie Viguerie to a meeting to discuss issues related to the inclusion of Kyrgyzstan’s Keremet Bank, Gazprom Neft Asia LLC, and Munai Myrza CJSC in the U.S. sanctions
Kyrgyzstan’s New Action Plan on Business and Human Rights The Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic has approved the Programme of Implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights for 2025-2027 and an Action Plan for its implementation. This makes Kyrgyzstan the 21st country in the world and the first in Central
In Addis Ababa last week, the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan, Asein Isaev, held talks with representatives of African countries, including Kenya, Botswana, Liberia, Mali, Guinea, Libya, Madagascar, Guinea-Bissau, Somalia, and Eswatini. Isaev emphasized the growing role of Africa in the global economy and international relations. In this context, Kyrgyzstan is interested
On January 15, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced that it imposed sanctions on Kyrgyzstan’s Keremet Bank for its role in Russia’s scheme to evade U.S. sanctions imposed following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. According to the Treasury Department, since at least summer 2024, officials at Keremet Bank have coordinated with Russian officials and
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) says it has set a new operational record in Central Asia by investing €2.26 billion through 121 projects in six regional economies last year – almost doubling its annual investment in Central Asia compared with 2023. It also mobilized €784 million from co-financiers, thus bringing more than
The Trade Mission of the Kyrgyz Republic in Uzbekistan has signed a memorandum of cooperation with Food City Tashkent LLC. The memorandum is aimed at developing trade and economic relations between the Kyrgyz Republic and Uzbekistan, as well as creating the necessary conditions for promoting Kyrgyz exporters to the Uzbek market. As part of the
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic Zheenbek Kulubaev paid his first official visit to Astana on January 10. During the talks, Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu and Minister Kulubaev discussed priority areas of political, trade, economic, investment, water and energy, transit and transport, and cultural
The Unit for Combating Extremism and Illegal Migration of the Internal Affairs Department of Kyrgyzstan’s Chui Region says it has detained a man suspected of calling on citizens of Kyrgyzstan to participate in military conflicts in other countries. The Internal Affairs Department on December 12, 2024 received information about videos distributed on the Internet and
Late in December, Kyrgyzstan’s Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, Bakyt Torobayev held a meeting on the fulfillment of the government’s plan of priority measures to improve air quality in the capital city of Bishkek for 2024-2025. The plan was approved in February 2024 and included measures to provide the population with high-calorie coal
Kyrgyzstan has joined the School Meals Coalition, a global initiative launched by France and Finland in 2021, to offer every child in the world daily access to a school meal by 2030, the United Nations World Food Programme reported. In Kyrgyzstan, nearly half of children aged 6 to 59 months and adolescent girls suffer from
More than 500 people in the agricultural sector will benefit from advanced cattle management, fodder cultivation, and artificial insemination initiatives supported by the U.S. government through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The new partnerships drive economic growth in the south of the Kyrgyz Republic by strengthening the dairy value chain and livestock breeding.
Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov, Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission of the People’s Republic of China Zheng Shanjie, and Uzbekistan Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjayev on December 27 attended a ceremony to launch the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway in the village of Tosh-Kutchu in Kyrgyzstan’s Jalal-Abad region. Speaking at the ceremony, Japarov
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan and the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP) last week held an event in Bishkek to mark the declaration of October 23 as International Snow Leopard Day by a resolution of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly. First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Asein
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan has announced that a visa-free regime will be introduced for citizens of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the State of Qatar, the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, and the Kingdom of Bahrain starting from January 4, 2025. Citizens of these countries traveling
The opening ceremony of the new Fire and Rescue Station No. 9 took place in Bishkek last week. The construction of the station was part of the project “Improvement of fire safety of population by strengthening capacity of the Fire and Rescue Services in the Kyrgyz Republic”, implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Kyrgyzstan’s Prime Minister Akylbek Japarov resigned on December 16 without offering an explanation, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reported. Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov’s office confirmed that Akylbek Japarov (no relation) had stepped down and would be moved to another position. The president named First Deputy Prime Minister Adylbek Kasymaliev, 64, as acting prime minister. Pressure was growing on Akylbek
The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), the Ministry of Economy and Commerce and the Ministry of Energy of the Kyrgyz Republic have signed a trilateral Memorandum of Cooperation on the Suusamyr-Kokomeren HPP Cascade Project. An essential factor in Kyrgyzstan’s economic development is increasing energy capacity by utilising the natural hydropower potential of its rivers. The construction
