ASTANA – Kazakhstan and the Kyrgyz Republic are deepening their trade and economic ties, with bilateral trade reaching $1.6 billion in January-November 2024. This milestone was discussed during a meeting between Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov and Kyrgyz Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Head of the Presidential Administration Adylbek Kasymaliev on Jan. 30 in Almaty.
Both diplomats reiterated their commitment to strengthening trade and economic ties, marking a promising future for bilateral relations. Photo credit: Prime Minister’s press service.
According to the Prime Minister’s press service, the meeting covered a range of topics, including industrial cooperation, agro-industrial partnerships, water management, and logistics.
Kazakhstan expressed its commitment to boosting exports in 175 product categories, aiming to increase exports by over $203 million. Key sectors for expansion include petrochemicals, food processing, metallurgy, mechanical engineering, and pharmaceuticals.
Agriculture, which represents 20% of bilateral trade, saw a 5.5% increase, reaching $313.6 million in the reporting period. Notably, Kazakhstan exported 40,400 tons of grain and 53,200 tons of flour to the Kyrgyz Republic.
Investment cooperation was another major focus of the talks. One of the flagship projects will be the construction of a ferroalloy plant in Tash-Kömür, which is expected to strengthen the industrial collaboration between the two nations. In 2024, the turnover of industrial goods reached $985.5 million, with Kazakhstan’s exports increasing by 13.5%.
The water and energy sectors also saw progress, with the effective implementation of the 2024 irrigation season being highlighted. Discussions were held on ensuring efficient water management in the Shu and Talas river basins during the non-growing season.
Additionally, the transport sector saw a boost, with export-import road transport volume increasing by 16% to 1.7 million tons in 2024. The officials discussed measures to improve border capacity and enhance the region’s transit potential.
Following the talks, both diplomats reiterated their commitment to strengthening trade and economic ties, marking a promising future for bilateral relations.
