ASTANA – Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic and Uzbekistan have signed a set of protocols regulating the region’s water and energy balance through 2026, following a trilateral meeting of the countries’ energy and water management agencies on Sept. 7 in Cholpon-Ata.
Photo credit: gov.kz
The key agreement outlines the obligations of the parties to ensure water releases from the Toktogul reservoir in exchange for electricity supplies from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to the Kyrgyz Republic. The officials also reached an agreement on the conditions for the transit of electricity from Russia to the Kyrgyz Republic via Kazakhstan’s power systems. These measures are designed to maintain the necessary water levels in the reservoir and provide irrigation water to southern Kazakhstan during the upcoming growing season, reported the Kazakh Energy Ministry’s press service.
During the visit, the counterparts held bilateral talks. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan signed a protocol on the supply of around 900 million kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity from March to December 2026 to cover projected shortages in Kazakhstan’s southern energy zone during planned repairs at power plants.
“Work in the water and energy sector requires maximum precision and strict adherence to schedules. The signed protocols are working documents with specific figures, deadlines and prices,” said Kazakh Minister of Energy Yerlan Akkenzhenov, who led the Kazakh delegation.
According to the ministry, the agreements will help reduce risks during the upcoming autumn-winter period and create predictable conditions for water accumulation for the next growing season — a key factor for the agricultural sector in southern Kazakhstan.
