The 13th meeting of the Intergovernmental Council between Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan was held in Astana in an expanded format.
The meeting was chaired by the Prime Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic, Adylbek Kasymaliev, and the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Olzhas Bektenov.
During the meeting, key issues of cooperation between the two countries were discussed in areas such as economy, energy, and culture.
In his speech, Adylbek Kasymaliev highlighted important directions for joint work and outlined priority areas.
"In recent years, our relations with Kazakhstan have significantly strengthened, moving from good neighborliness to strategic partnership. This has been made possible by the political will of the leaders of our countries," he noted.
An important aspect of the discussion was the development of trade and investment. In the first nine months of this year, the volume of bilateral trade amounted to 1.7 billion US dollars, which is 15% more compared to the same period in 2024. Direct investments from Kazakhstan to Kyrgyzstan reached nearly 64 million US dollars in the first six months of this year.
"This indicates the trust of Kazakh businesses in Kyrgyzstan and opens new prospects for joint projects. It is important to focus on significant initiatives that can advance our cooperation to a new level," he added.
The meeting also identified important areas of cooperation in several other fields.
In particular, the creation of an industrial trade and logistics complex in the border area and a wholesale distribution center for storing agricultural products in the Almaty region was discussed, which will ensure stable supplies of fruits and vegetables.
Additionally, it was proposed to develop a mechanism for the supply of oil and petroleum products from Kazakhstan to Kyrgyzstan based on an intergovernmental agreement.
The parties also emphasized the need to complete the reconstruction of the checkpoints "Kichi-Kapka - Besagash," "Ak-Tilek - Karasuu," and "Karkyra - Kegen," which will significantly improve bilateral trade, as well as the restoration of operations at the "Nizhny Chuy - Ak-Suu" checkpoint.
Participants of the meeting noted the necessity of expanding interregional ties to activate trade turnover and create new opportunities for business.
Kasymaliev and Bektenov set the task of increasing the trade volume between the countries to 3 billion US dollars by 2030 and assured that work in this direction would continue.
Kazakhstan's Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov emphasized that Kazakhstan will make every effort to strengthen bilateral cooperation and fulfill previously reached agreements in the interests of both nations.
Moreover, the meeting reviewed reports from representatives of the state bodies of both countries on issues of trade, economy, and water resources.
As a result of the 13th meeting of the Intergovernmental Council, a protocol was signed, which includes issues of trade-economic and investment cooperation, as well as interaction in the fields of culture and tourism.
Adylbek Kasymaliev's working trip to Kazakhstan concluded on November 13.
