The agriculture ministry in Kyrgyzstan has recommended local farmers to focus on growing rice, as it believes that rice cultivation is one of the most profitable sectors in the country’s agriculture. The most profitable is the cultivation of Uzgen rice, a variety of red rice valued and beloved by the Kyrgyz and Uzbek people, who
Since gaining independence, the countries of the post-Soviet space have focused significant attention on finding and building an optimal strategy for developing their education systems. Dastan Bekeshev, Member of the Jogorku Kenesh (Kyrgyz parliament) and Deputy Chairman of the parliamentary Budget Committee, spoke with OCA Magazine about the main challenges and achievements on this path.
U.S. Air Forces Central and the Montana Army and Air National Guard partnered with the Kyrgyz Republic for exercise Ak Shumkar 2025, between June 23-27, focused on expanding partnerships and increasing interoperability among partner forces throughout Central Asia, according to the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek. As a Kyrgyz-led exercise, Ak Shumkar 2025 provided an opportunity for U.S.
The World Bank has approved additional financing of $6.36 million to complement the ongoing Learning for the Future Project in Kyrgyzstan. This initiative, originally launched with $50 million in 2020, seeks to enhance school readiness and teacher productivity from pre-school to secondary education in targeted communities. The additional funding will expand the scope of the project to include full-day
Kyrgyzstan’s GDP growth rate is projected to increase to 10.3% in 2025, after 9% a year earlier, according to the Eurasian Development Bank’s (EDB) latest Macroeconomic Outlook for its member states. The increase is driven by rising gold prices, household consumption, and investment demand. According to the EDB, state investment programs, which are mainly financed by international financial institutions, create
To increase access to green and social financing in Kyrgyzstan, IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, has announced a subscription of up to $15 million in the country’s first-ever sustainability bonds, issued in local currency by the Kyrgyz Investment and Credit Bank (KICB). This landmark issuance will enable KICB to offer more local
On June 23, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Economy and Commerce and South Korean companies EVSIS and NGS and the Korea Automobile Environment Association for a joint project to develop an electric vehicle charging infrastructure in Bishkek. According to the ministry, the memorandum covers the following key areas of cooperation: As part
This operation will provide budgetary support to help the Kyrgyz government implement a comprehensive program of reforms aimed at ensuring a sustainable energy supply, enhancing social service delivery, and strengthening fiscal sustainability and the business environment, the World Bank said. With aspirations to move the country toward an upper-middle-income status by 2030, the Kyrgyz government
The Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision of the Kyrgyz Republic, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has launched a new project to enhance the capacity of national financial institutions to access and deploy green and climate finance. The initiative is aligned with the Kyrgyz Republic’s National Development Programme 2040
The United Nations Development Programme in partnership with the National Investment Agency under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic officially launched the Kyrgyzstan SDG Investor Map. The SDG Investor Map is a market intelligence tool that identifies priority investment opportunities aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the country’s national development priorities. It provides
A ceremony to launch the new production line at the Kant Cement Plant, the construction of which began in spring 2024, was held on June 16 in Kyrgyzstan. One year later, the plant begins operations on a renewed, environmentally friendly and energy-efficient platform, the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) reported. The project involved the construction of a
Chinese President Xi Jinping on June 17 called on China and Central Asian countries to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and forge ahead toward the goal of building a China-Central Asia community with a shared future, Xinhua reported. Xi made the remarks in his keynote speech at the second China-Central Asia Summit in Astana
Today, Kyrgyzstan is almost entirely dependent on the import of mineral fertilizers for its agricultural sector, which employs a significant portion of the country’s population and ensures its food security and export revenues. To resolve the problem, the Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry has prioritized switching from mineral fertilizers to a wider
The 4th Ministerial Meeting of the Central Asia–India Dialogue was held in New Delhi on June 6. The meeting focused on main areas of partnership between the Central Asian countries and India, covering such fields as transport and logistics, regional cooperation, counter-terrorism, and the development of advanced technologies. The foreign ministers adopted a Joint Statement
Kyrgyzstan’s Energy Minister Taalaibek Ibrayev last week met with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) officials in Manila to discuss the bank’s participation in the country’s energy projects, including the construction of the Kambarata-1 Hydropower Plant (HPP), an ambitious regional initiative being jointly undertaken by Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. During the meeting, the ADB expressed its
Kyrgyzstan’s parliament has passed amendments to The Law on Limiting the Circulation of Polymer Film and Plastic Bags, set to take effect on January 1, 2027, 24.kg reported. According to the Law, the following should have been banned throughout the country from 2027: The amendments propose that the Cabinet of Ministers exclude PET plastic bottles
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
From May 22nd to 27th, London hosted the 7th annual Eurasian Film Festival, an international celebration of Eurasian cinema. Organized by the Silk Road Media and the Eurasian Creative Guild (ECG), the festival is traditionally held in partnership with the Romford Film Festival, uniting filmmakers, audiences, and industry professionals from across the globe. This year,
The Ministry of Economy and Commerce of the Kyrgyz Republic and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Government of Finland, presented the interim results of the Aid for Trade initiative, which is contributing to stronger trade governance, institutional development, and enterprise-level competitiveness across Kyrgyzstan, UNDP Kyrgyzstan reported. This flagship project is
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) says it is supporting the development of small businesses owned or led by women and the deployment of green technologies in Kyrgyzstan by providing a financial package of US$ 8 million (€ 7.6 million) to the country’s major microlender FINCA Bank Kyrgyzstan (FINCA). The package will consist of
