The Astana Times - Trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan reached US$680 million, growing by nine percent over the first nine months of 2021, said President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev as he welcomed Chair of Kyrgyzstan’s Cabinet of Ministers and Chief of the Presidential Administration Akylbek Japarov in Akorda on Dec. 8.
This is also 1.2 percent higher than in the first nine months of pre-pandemic 2019. Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan now seek to bring the volume of trade up to $1 billion.
The volume of accumulated investments from Kazakhstan has exceeded US$1 billion since 2005 making Kazakhstan one of the largest investors in the Kyrgyz economy. Kyrgyzstan is also actively involved in the Kazakh economy with close to 2,000 Kyrgyz companies operating in Kazakhstan.
President Tokayev commended the development of bilateral ties between the two neighbors, calling Kyrgyzstan a “brotherly state.”
“We are members of the CSTO (The Collective Security Treaty Organization) and the EAEU (The Eurasian Economic Union). On a bilateral basis, we always cooperate very closely,” he added, expressing his hope for continued strengthening of bilateral relations across all areas.
Japarov congratulated Tokayev on the upcoming 30th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s independence to be celebrated on Dec. 16 and conveyed the greetings from Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov.
“Over these years, Kazakhstan has established itself as a dynamically developing, politically and economically stable and strong state with a strong position and influence in the international arena. We in Kyrgyzstan are always happy about the achievements of your country, and we always feel the support of fraternal Kazakhstan,” said Japarov, who was appointed as the cabinet head in October.
As part of his visit to Kazakhstan, Japarov also met with Kazakh Prime Minister Askar Mamin and First President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, discussing ways to strengthen cooperation.
Japarov and Mamin discussed trade and economic, investment, water and energy, transit and transport, military and technical spheres, agriculture, industrial cooperation, and public health. The sides emphasized the potential to expand cooperation in industry, agriculture, education, and tourism.
Mamin noted the positive dynamics of cooperation in the transit and transport sphere. There are seven road checkpoints at the border between the two countries and air travel has resumed since Nov. 17 on the Nur-Sultan – Bishkek route which flies twice per week.
Over the first 10 months of 2021, the volume of transit of goods from China to Kyrgyzstan through the territory of Kazakhstan has increased by 1.5 times from 178,000 tons to 265,700 tons.
Cooperation in the water and energy sector, including joint measures to regulate water resources of the transboundary rivers, the Syrdarya, Shu and Talas, was also raised during the meeting. Mamin said that additional water release from the Toktogul Reservoir by the Kyrgyz side helped meet the needs of farmers in the southern regions of Kazakhstan with irrigation water to alleviate low water conditions.
