The Afghan question plays a decisive role in the security and regional development of Central Asia. The states of the region increasingly regard Afghanistan as an inseparable part of their shared neighborhood. In this context, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have actively sought to deepen their engagement with Kabul. Uzbekistan has prioritized humanitarian assistance, the return of Afghan overseas assets to the Afghan people, and the promotion of the Trans-Afghan Corridor. Kazakhstan, by contrast, views Afghanistan primarily through the lens of economic opportunity. With a population of 36.4 million, Afghanistan represents a new consumer market for Astana, particularly with its strong demand for essential goods such as wheat and flour.
Nevertheless, the efforts of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan alone do not amount to a comprehensive regional approach. Turkmenistan continues to adhere to a policy of neutrality, while Tajikistan maintains a rather reserved stance toward Kabul. Against this backdrop, the role of Kyrgyz Republic becomes increasingly significant. Its active involvement has the potential to shift the overall regional attitude toward Afghanistan and to contribute to the emergence of a coherent Central Asian strategy in relation to Kabul.
Bishkek’s vision
Islomkhon Gafarov.
Following Kazakhstan’s example, in September 2024 Kyrgyz Republic officially removed the Taliban from its list of banned organizations, thereby opening the way for an institutionalized dialogue with the Afghan authorities. On 28 August 2025, Bishkek participated in the inaugural meeting of the regional Special Representatives on the Afghan issue, held in Tashkent. Kyrgyz Republic’s involvement in such platforms enhances the region’s collective weight and introduces a new partner to the Afghan track.
The absence of a shared border with Afghanistan has long shaped Kyrgyz Republic’s limited involvement in Afghan affairs. At the same time, this factor did not prevent Bishkek from providing logistical support to the United States during its military operation in Afghanistan by hosting the Manas air base.
A number of issues continue to draw the Kyrgyz Republic’s interest, most notably the CASA-1000 energy project, which in recent years has become one of Bishkek’s key strategic initiatives. The project is of particular importance as it enables electricity exports to Afghanistan and Pakistan. Beyond its economic dimension, CASA-1000 carries symbolic weight by creating an energy and cultural bridge between Central and South Asia.
The nation also maintains tangible economic interests in Afghanistan. In 2024, bilateral trade amounted to approximately 66 million USD, of which Afghan exports accounted for around $7 million, while imports from Kyrgyz Republic reached $59 million. These primarily consisted of petroleum products, dried legumes, tires, nuts, and horses.
The development of transport corridors significantly enhances Bishkek’s prospects by embedding the country into the broader architecture of Eurasian connectivity. The planned China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, once integrated with the Trans-Afghan Corridor, could become a strategic link between Central and South Asia. For Kyrgyz Republic, this would diversify trade routes, expand access to South Asian markets, and attract investment, while also raising its political profile as a transit state and an active participant in regional cooperation.
What is Afghanistan striving for?
Afghanistan, for its part, has also demonstrated considerable interest in strengthening relations with Kyrgyz Republic. These ties are primarily political in nature, reflecting Kabul’s broader diplomatic strategy toward Central Asia. Afghan diplomacy seeks to foster a climate of goodwill across the region as part of its effort to secure both regional and international recognition.
In this vein, in August 2025 the Afghan Minister of Industry and Commerce, NooruddinAzizi, paid an official visit to Bishkek. The meeting resulted in the signing of a roadmap and a memorandum of understanding on trade and economic cooperation, as well as agreements to establish trade houses in both Bishkek and Kabul and to advance joint initiatives in the field of digitalization. In parallel, the two sides discussed expanding cooperation in transport, energy, the textile industry, education, and healthcare. A significant symbolic step was Azizi’s invitation to the Kyrgyz Prime Minister to pay an official visit to Afghanistan.
Such exchanges indicate that Kabul is gradually shaping a pragmatic policy toward Bishkek, aimed at overcoming international isolation and building new diplomatic and commercial channels of engagement.
Challenges
There are several stumbling blocks in the development of Kyrgyz-Afghan relations.
First, no significant initiatives have yet emerged. Bishkek’s policy toward Kabul remains largely observational and reactive, shaped more by the initiatives of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan than by its own proactive agenda. Rather than proposing independent frameworks or spearheading projects, the Kyrgyz Republic has tended to follow regional dynamics set by its larger neighbors. This reactive stance limits Bishkek’s ability to define its own role in Afghan affairs and reduces its visibility as a meaningful actor in the regional dialogue.
Second, Afghanistan itself directs greater attention to the larger states of the region. Given their economic weight, geographical proximity, and political influence, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan occupy a central place in Kabul’s regional strategy. The Kyrgyz Republic by contrast, is often perceived as a secondary partner, lacking the same scale of economic incentives or logistical importance.
Third, the cultural and informational gap also affects the dynamics of bilateral relations. Within Kyrgyz society, Afghanistan is frequently perceived through the prism of insecurity and radicalism, rather than as a potential partner for cooperation. Such perceptions, shaped in part by media coverage and the legacy of past conflicts, reinforce cautious attitudes in Bishkek’s policy toward Kabul. This lack of mutual familiarity and positive narratives creates additional barriers to deeper engagement, underscoring the need for initiatives in cultural diplomacy, academic exchanges, and people-to-people contacts to overcome stereotypes and foster trust.
Under current conditions, the development of Kyrgyz-Afghan relations and the display of initiative by Kyrgyz Republic are increasingly in demand at the regional level. Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have demonstrated notable activism on the Afghan track, yet their efforts alone are insufficient to create a genuinely regional approach. While Turkmenistan maintains its policy of neutrality and Tajikistan adopts a cautious stance, the Kyrgyz Republic has the potential to step forward and assume a more proactive role. Bishkek’s engagement would impart a distinctly regional dimension to the Afghan agenda and could lay the groundwork for practical measures, including a gradual movement toward the recognition of Afghanistan at the regional level.
The author is Islomkhon Gafarov, PhD in Political Science, Policy Analyst at the Center for Progressive Reforms, Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of The Astana Times.
