Bishkek, 30 October. At the Second Forum of Interregional Cooperation between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, agreements were signed on twinning Almaty with Bishkek, Turkistan with Manas and the Shchuchinsk-Burabay resort zone with Issyk-Kul, while Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov recalled the goal of raising trade to 3 billion dollars, Kazakhstan’s government press service said.
The forum was attended by Adylbek Kasymaliev, Chairman of Kyrgyzstan’s Cabinet of Ministers and head of the Presidential Administration, and by the heads of regions and cities of both countries: the Almaty, Zhambyl, East Kazakhstan, Akmola and Karaganda regions, the Zhetysu region, Almaty and Turkistan, as well as the Issyk-Kul, Chui, Talas, Osh, Jalal-Abad and Naryn regions. The sides signed an agreement on twinning Almaty and Bishkek for 2026–2030 and documents on twinning Turkistan with the city of Manas and the Shchuchinsk-Burabay resort zone with the Issyk-Kul resort zone. Several more agreements concern cooperation with the Issyk-Kul, Jalal-Abad and Naryn regions, and the commercial documents deal with trade, exports and promoting Kazakhstani products on the Kyrgyz market.
According to the Kazakh government, bilateral trade grew by 33% in 2025, to 2.4 billion dollars, and since the start of 2026 it has grown by another 20% over the same period of last year. The shared border runs for about 1,200 km; the Almaty and Zhambyl regions border Kyrgyzstan’s Issyk-Kul, Talas and Chui regions. Seven of the eight checkpoints on the Kazakh–Kyrgyz border are in the Zhambyl region, where more than 1,000 enterprises with Kyrgyz participation operate and a project for an industrial trade and logistics complex is under way.
Rail traffic between the countries grew by 10% in 2025, to 6.8 million tonnes, and over nine months of 2026 reached 5.1 million tonnes, 8.3% more. Road freight grew by 37% in 2025, to 3.7 million tonnes; the switch to electronic exchange of permits helped to simplify procedures. The mutual tourist flow in nine months exceeded 4 million people. The Kyrgyz side, 24.kg writes, names the deadline for the goal: 2030.
What it means: The governments of the two countries are betting on direct links between regions and cities, not only between capitals. The figures confirm that trade is growing; still, about 0.6 billion dollars is missing from the 2025 level to reach the 3 billion target.
Who benefits: The Zhambyl region: most of the border checkpoints are there and a logistics-complex project is under way. Kazakhstani exporters: documents were signed on promoting their products in Kyrgyzstan. Resorts and tourists: the twinning of the Shchuchinsk-Burabay zone with Issyk-Kul and the flow of 4 million people in nine months. Carriers: electronic permits make trips easier.
Background: The countries spoke of the goal of 3 billion dollars by 2030 at the 13th session of the intergovernmental council in Astana in November 2025 as well. The present forum is the second one: it took place during O. Bektenov’s official visit to Bishkek, where the protocol of the 14th session of the intergovernmental council was signed.
We have also reported on Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan signing the protocol of the intergovernmental council in Bishkek and Bektenov flying to Bishkek for the Kazakhstan–Kyrgyzstan intergovernmental council.
