Being close neighbors with centuries-long ties and common roots, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan continue to deepen their relationship, setting a good example for regional cooperation. Both countries are close trade and economic partners as part of the Eurasian Economic Union, which also includes Armenia, Belarus, and Russia. From January-November 2023, bilateral trade grew by 12% and reached $1.3 billion, with the plan to bring the trade turnover up to $2 billion.
Some obstacles still exist to the passage of goods across the common border, with Kyrgyzstan from time to time complaining about long lines at the Kazakh border for its cargo trucks bringing goods to Russia through Kazakhstan. The most recent big traffic jam occurred on the Kyrgyz side of the border in August 2023, when more than 600 trucks were stuck at the border crossing. To resolve the problem, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have agreed to speed up their joint efforts for opening an additional checkpoint for freight vehicles on their border. It was the result of the meeting between the countries’ prime ministers in Almaty on February 1. At the meeting, the Kazakh prime minister emphasized that Kyrgyzstan is a strategic partner and fraternal state for Kazakhstan.
In June 2023, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan signed an agreement on the construction of a joint industrial, trade and logistics center in their border area. It will accommodate production facilities, warehouses for storing goods and equipment, as well as transport infrastructure.
Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan also strengthen cooperation in the water and energy sector, as irrigation water remains an issue in Kazakh-Kyrgyz relations.
Kazakhstan, especially its dry southern regions, is dependent on irrigation water coming from upstream Kyrgyzstan. Last summer, the southern regions of Kazakhstan experienced a severe shortage of irrigation water for their fields, while Kyrgyzstan also lacked water and could not supply enough water to its neighbor.
In December, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov said that the water problem would be solved through the construction of so-called ten-day and daily regulation pools. Such reservoirs will allow for the accumulation of water in winter and for it to be freely shared with neighbors downstream. The construction of such reservoirs, the president explained, will meet the needs of Kyrgyzstan and there will also be enough water to supply to downstream Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have also committed to improving transboundary water cooperation for the benefit of three million people in the Chu and Talas river basins shared by the two countries. In December 2023, both countries approved the Strategic Action Programme for the Chu and Talas river basins aimed at effective transboundary cooperation in the context of climate change to ensure health, security and economic well-being for the three million inhabitants as well as ecosystem resilience in the basin.
In the energy sphere, Kazakhstan is among the countries that export electricity to power-hungry Kyrgyzstan. It is also worth mentioning that following an explosion at the Bishkek thermal power plant on February 2, which resulted in significant damage and disruption to the supply of hot water and heat in parts of the Kyrgyz capital city, fraternal Kazakhstan swiftly stepped in to offer support by increasing the supply of electricity from its Zhambyl power plant.
