Kyrgyzstan’s Rebrand: New Country, or New Distractions?
By Joe Luc Barnes On January 29, in what became a viral social media post, Seide Ibraimova and her mother drove to the site of VDNKh, the exhibition center built in the Kirghiz SSR to demonstrate the achievements of socialist science and culture. Her mother, wrapped in a white headscarf, reminisced happily about the times […]
Read MoreKazakhstan and China Expand Cooperation in Water Management
By Sergey Kwan Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation has signed a memorandum of cooperation with Power China to strengthen bilateral collaboration in water management. The agreement outlines plans for modernizing hydraulic infrastructure, reconstructing irrigation systems, and enhancing technical capacity through training programs and specialist exchanges. It also includes provisions for digitalization, investment in […]
Read MoreFrom Hydropower to Human Capital: Japarov Plans Strategic Visit to Japan
BY Stephen M. Bland Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov is preparing for a visit to Japan that underscores growing strategic ties between the two countries. Kyrgyz officials say they plan to sign energy and infrastructure agreements in Tokyo, including support for a training center for the national electric grid and upgrades at the Kurpsai hydropower plant, […]
Read MoreKyrgyz Parliament Considers Tighter Climbing Rules After Mountain Deaths
Kyrgyzstan’s parliament is looking at ways to make mountaineering safer after the deaths and presumed deaths of several climbers this year, including a Russian woman who was stranded for days on the highest mountain in the country. The debate comes as authorities promote Kyrgyzstan’s spectacular mountain landscapes in an effort to attract more tourists. A […]
Read MoreRails Through the Mountains: Kyrgyzstan Expanding Network in All Directions
By Bruce Pannier On August 25, in the remote village of Kosh-Dobo in central Kyrgyzstan, construction finally started on Kyrgyzstan’s section of a railway that will connect the country to China and Uzbekistan. It is one of the most important projects in Kyrgyzstan’s 34 years of independence. And it is not the only railway project […]
Read MoreKazakhstan’s Gumilyov Eurasian National University Opens Branch in Kyrgyzstan’s Osh
By Sergey Kwan Kazakhstan’s L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University (ENU) has opened a new branch at Osh State University in Kyrgyzstan’s second-largest city, Osh. The new branch will offer training in ecology, information and communications technology (ICT), and the service sector. Students will also study Russian language and literature, translation, foreign languages, journalism, and physics, […]
Read MoreSouth Korea to Support Air Quality Improvement in Kyrgyzstan
By Sergey Kwan The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) has launched a major initiative to improve air quality in Kyrgyzstan, with a particular focus on the capital, Bishkek. On August 20, Bishkek hosted the signing ceremony for the Record of Discussions between KOICA and the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision, marking the […]
Read MoreTokayev in Bishkek: Deals, Diplomacy, and a Golden Bridge
By Stephen M. Bland Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev arrived in Kyrgyzstan on 21 August for an official visit that rolls into a full day of talks in Bishkek on 22 August, including a session of the Supreme Interstate Council. The Kyrgyz capital implemented rolling traffic restrictions around motorcade routes, a sign of how tightly choreographed […]
Read MoreKazakhstan’s President to Visit Kyrgyzstan for High-Level Talks on Aug. 21–22
By Stephen M. Bland Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is due in Kyrgyzstan for an official visit at the invitation of President Sadyr Japarov, with the main program set in Bishkek. An announcement, carried by state media, confirmed the trip and outlined that talks would take place on deepening political and economic ties. Local authorities have […]
Read MoreKyrgyzstan Hosts Inaugural World Festival of Traditional Culture and Music “Rukh Sanat”
By Maria Malinovskaya From August 1-3, the cultural and ethnographic complex Rukh Ordo, on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul, hosted Kyrgyzstan’s first World Festival of Traditional Culture and Music, Rukh Sanat. The event brought together more than 130 performers, researchers, and artisans from 37 countries. The festival opened with a parade of participants and a […]
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