On November 11, Bishkek hosted the 26th meeting of the Kyrgyz-Russian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical, and Humanitarian Cooperation, co-chaired by Adylbek Kasymaliev, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan, and Alexey Overchuk, Deputy Prime Minister of Russia. According to Kasymaliev, Russia is a reliable ally and strategic partner of Kyrgyzstan. Russia
Kazakhstan has increased its export cargo transportation by rail through Russia, as well as rail transit along the China-Russia route. According to Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, the country’s railway company, from January to October 2025, rail freight volumes between Kazakhstan and Russia totaled 71.6 million tons, a 5% increase compared to the same period last year,
As part of the state visit of Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Russia on November 12, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Tokayev signed the Declaration on the Transition of Interstate Relations between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Level of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and Alliance. An extensive package of intergovernmental agreements was also signed to expand Kazakh-Russian cooperation in security policy, trade, investment, culture, and humanitarian affairs. Following their talks, Putin and Tokayev
On October 22, the Second Meeting of the Council of Regions of Uzbekistan and Russia was held in the Moscow Region. The Russian delegation was led by Denis Manturov, First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, while the Uzbek delegation was headed by Jamshid Khodjayev, Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan. The forum reaffirmed the
On October 9, the Second “Central Asia–Russia” Summit was held in Dushanbe. The event, chaired by the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, was attended by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov, and the
Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who arrived in Tajikistan on a state visit, held negotiations in Dushanbe on October 9. At the start of the talks, Rahmon noted that Russia is one of Tajikistan’s main political and economic partners, adding that “we cooperate closely in trade, economic, cultural, humanitarian, and security
On August 14, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin met with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov as part of his official visit to Kyrgyzstan. Japarov confirmed Kyrgyzstan’s steadfast commitment to deepening, expanding, and diversifying its multifaceted cooperation with the Russian Federation across all areas. “Our active collaboration continues within regional integration frameworks, primarily the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), CIS, CSTO,
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov has spoken for maintaining the official status of the Russian language in Kyrgyzstan. In an interview with the Kabar information agency, Japarov shared his opinion on the current status and future of the Russian language in Kyrgyzstan amid proposals of some Kyrgyz politicians to revise its status. Russian has the status
On July 3, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko accepted copies of credentials from newly appointed Ambassador of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to the Russian Federation Gul Hassan Hassan. Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it believes that the official recognition of the Government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will give
Around 100 tons of cherries from the Panjshir province of Afghanistan will be exported to several Central Asian countries and Russia, TOLOnews reported. According to local officials, traders from Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan plan not only to purchase cherries but also to buy apples and grapes to export to Central Asian countries. Mohammad Agha Hakim, Governor
The number of Kyrgyz labor migrants in Russia has significantly decreased in recent years. Today, about 600,000 Kyrgyz citizens are in labor migration, including 379,000 in Russia, compared to 680,000 in 2020, according to Kyrgyzstan’s Deputy Minister of Labor, Social Security and Migration Bakyt Darmankul uulu. Over the past 30 years, hundreds of thousands of
Russia’s non-profit organization for international cooperation, Eurasia, with the support of Kyrgyzstan’s Cabinet of Ministers, will build a cultural and amusement park in the village of Orok near Bishkek. According to Eurasia, the new park will symbolize the friendship between the peoples of Russia and Kyrgyzstan. A presentation of the project took place late in
After a Kazakh media outlet recently published an advertising material offering young women from Kazakhstan an opportunity to get a new profession and job as part of the Alabuga Start program, Orda.kz has investigated what is known about the Alabuga special economic zone in the Russian region of Tatarstan and its Alabuga Start project, which
On April 11, Almaty hosted the eighth meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and foreign ministers of Central Asian countries: Deputy Prime Minister – Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu, Foreign Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic Jeenbek Kulubayev, and Foreign Minister of Tajikistan Sirojiddin Muhriddin. Turkmenistan was represented by Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmet Gurbanov,
On April 2, the National Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan and the Russian Academy of Sciences officially opened the Kazakh-Russian Center for Advanced Technologies in the Agro-Industrial Complex. According to the Kazakh Ministry of Agriculture, the new center will be located in Almaty and will operate in close cooperation with leading research institutes of Kazakhstan
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
A court in Moscow charged Uzbek citizen Ahmat Qurbanov on December 19 with terrorism and other charges in the high-profile killing of Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, who headed Russia’s Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Defense Forces, RFE/RL reported. In addition to terrorism, Qurbanov has been charged with murder and the illegal possession of weapons and ammunition,
The Hertfordshire Press Award for outstanding achievements in shaping and promoting the literary heritage of the Eurasian countries in the international space took place on November 29 during the 8th international festival Eurasian Creative Week in Greenock, Scotland. The festival events and award ceremony brought together creative people and diplomats from 15 countries. Literary figures
On November 27, Russian President Vladimir Putin made a state visit to Kazakhstan. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called Putin’s visit a historic event that marks an important milestone in the development of Kazakh-Russian relations. “For Kazakhstan, Russia is a strategic partner and a reliable ally. We are united by unbreakable bonds of friendship, centuries-old good
A court in Uzbekistan’s Ferghana Province has sentenced 51-year-old Alisher Holiqov to five years in prison for mercenary activities with the Russian armed forces in a landmark case highlighting the growing issue of foreigners enlisting to fight in Ukraine, RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service reported. The November 4 court ruling shows the risks faced by Central Asian migrants and
