Kyrgyzstan borders one of the most developed regions of Kazakhstan — Almaty. This proximity explains the fact that the most developed region of Kyrgyzstan is the Chui region. The problems of Kazakhstan related to the lack of water and electricity in the southern regions determine the demand for resources from Kyrgyzstan. The alliance with Kazakhstan has repeatedly been a decisive factor in the formation of regional organizations.
Diplomatic relations between Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan were established on October 15, 1992. Their distinctive feature was that they were genuinely neighborly, partnership-based, and mutually beneficial.
The legal framework between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan consists of about 140 documents. The main bilateral documents are: the Treaty of Eternal Friendship, signed on April 8, 1997, and the Treaty on Allied Relations, signed on December 25, 2003. These treaties define the strategic directions of mutual cooperation across all areas for the long term.
The relationship between the two states in the political sphere can be characterized as consistent and dynamically developing. This is evidenced by the absence of political disagreements and the similarity of positions of the two states on many current international and regional issues. On the international stage, both states have provided and continue to provide mutual support for each other's foreign policy initiatives, coordinating and advocating for each other's interests in various international and regional development projects.
Kazakhstan has become the main market for Kyrgyz agricultural products and the primary direction for the re-export of foreign products from Kyrgyzstan. In recent years, Kazakhstan has firmly held the second position in foreign trade turnover with Kyrgyzstan, with a consistent increase in mutual trade observed since 2000. The foreign trade turnover between the states was $90.8 million in 2000, $120.8 million in 2001, $160.7 million in 2002, and $228.0 million in 2003. During these years, about 400 Kazakh-Kyrgyz joint ventures in the field of small and medium-sized businesses operated in Kyrgyzstan.
