Kyrgyzstan - The Times Of Central Asia

Viewing results 13 - 18 of 2039

Naryn Industrial Park Plans Raise Electricity Supply Questions for Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan’s National Investment Agency signed an agreement on November 7 with StarOcean Investment to build and operate a 200-hectare industrial park in the Naryn Free Economic Zone. The park is designed to house energy-intensive, low-carbon manufacturing facilities as well as data centers and computing capacity for artificial intelligence. One data center is planned to house government data. The agency says it will help expand digital public services and support the development of an IT park at the site. The proposed computing facilities could help address a problem identified by Kyrgyz AI developers. In a June interview with The Times of Central Asia, AIRUN CEO Chingiz Arziev said limited access to computing power was one of the main challenges in training large AI models in Kyrgyzstan. However, the project would require electricity in a country already struggling to meet demand. The government expects Kyrgyzstan to import 4.1 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2026, about one-fifth of its projected demand. Energy Minister Altynbek Rysbekov has warned that imports could be limited during peak morning and evening hours this winter, when demand also rises in supplier countries. At a September 1 meeting with Rysbekov, representatives of StarOcean discussed how the park would be supplied with electricity. StarOcean plans to pay for the power lines, substations, and other infrastructure needed to connect the park to the grid. The National Investment Agency says the project could ease Kyrgyzstan’s electricity shortfall and boost its export potential. Its announcement refers to plans for cross-border energy infrastructure, raising the possibility of electricity imports from neighboring China. However, the agency has not specified where the park’s electricity would come from or how much it would need. The project’s cost, construction timeline, and planned data center capacity also remain undisclosed, making it difficult to assess the scale of the investment or its potential impact on Kyrgyzstan’s already strained electricity system.

Property Rights

Kyrgyzstan Border Settlements Bring Property Documents to Villagers

Residents of Kara-Jantak village in Kyrgyzstan’s Batken region have received official property documents for 295 homes following the village’s transfer from Uzbekistan under a border agreement. The regional administration said officials handed over the documents to residents, who had previously received Kyrgyz passports. Around 1,200 people live in Kara-Jantak, which was formerly part of Uzbekistan’s Fergana region. In 2024, the village came under the jurisdiction of the city of Kadamjay in the Batken region as part of a settlement negotiated by the two countries’ intergovernmental commission on border delimitation and demarcation. Their border treaty was signed in 2022. Construction has begun on a 14-kilometer water supply network, with the project estimated to cost 38 million Kyrgyz soms (approximately $435,000). A separate irrigation project worth 316 million soms (around $3.6 million) has been prepared and is expected to be implemented soon. Land has also been set aside for a school and a kindergarten. In June 2026, two other former Uzbek villages, Chongara and Tash-Tobo in the Fergana region, became part of Kyrgyzstan. Around 2,500 people, mostly ethnic Kyrgyz, live in the two settlements. In exchange, Kyrgyzstan transferred land of equal area to Uzbekistan along the border. In a separate development, authorities in the Batken region are preparing to allocate 170 habitable houses out of 213 transferred to Kyrgyzstan through a territorial exchange with Tajikistan. The exchange followed a border settlement signed in March 2025. The houses will be provided to citizens who lost their homes or whose properties became uninhabitable during fighting along the Kyrgyz-Tajik border in 2021 and 2022. A regional working group led by Baktybek Toksonbaev, the first deputy presidential representative in the Batken region, reviewed the allocation process. It focused on providing a second replacement home to families whose two houses on the same plot had both been left uninhabitable. Authorities expect to hand over the properties to eligible residents in the coming days, following the required legal procedures.

Energy Drinks

Japarov Orders Cabinet to Consider Kyrgyzstan Energy Drink Ban

Kyrgyzstan’s President Sadyr Japarov gave the Cabinet of Ministers one month to consider a ban on the production and import of energy drinks and six months to take regulatory action. He announced the directive on Facebook on November 5, 2026. Japarov cited doctors’ warnings about excessive consumption and pointed to the cost to the state of treating illnesses he attributed to the drinks. Figures in his announcement put consumption at about 36 million liters in the first half of 2026, roughly two-thirds of the 54 million liters consumed in all of 2025. Kyrgyzstan produced about 25 million liters in 2025 and imported more than 29 million liters. Tax and customs revenue from the industry totaled 1.104 billion soms ($12.6 million) in 2025 and 996.7 million soms ($11.4 million) in the first half of 2026. Japarov said preliminary estimates suggest a ban on production and imports could reduce tax revenue by about 1.5 billion soms ($17.2 million). A separate bill drafted by lawmaker Erulan Kokulov was put out for public comment on November 5. It would ban sales of nonalcoholic energy drinks to anyone under 18, covering stores and food outlets as well as online sales and deliveries. Sellers would have to request identification if they were unsure of a customer’s age and refuse the sale without proof that the buyer was at least 18. Couriers would have to verify recipients’ ages on delivery and could not leave energy drinks at the door. Sellers would remain responsible for compliance even when using a third-party delivery service. The bill would also ban sales through vending machines. Selling energy drinks to a minor would carry fines of 10,000 soms ($114) for individuals and 35,000 soms ($400) for companies and other legal entities. For a repeat violation within a year of the first penalty, the fines would rise to 20,000 soms ($229) and 55,000 soms ($629), respectively. In March 2026, Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Health proposed raising the excise tax on energy drinks from 6 soms (0.07)to20soms(0.23) per liter. The ministry cited the drinks’ high sugar and caffeine content and the health risks for teenagers.

U.S.-Central Asia Engagement

U.S. Midterms Hand Democrats a Central Asia Agenda They Helped Build

Democrats have won control of Congress in the November 3 midterms, ending President Donald Trump’s Republican majority. But they inherit a Central Asia agenda their party helped build, backed by substantial orders for American manufacturers. Uzbekistan Airways’ new Boeing deliveries are due to begin in 2031, while Kazakhstan’s $4.2 billion Wabtec agreement covers a decade. For American businesses, the region’s importance is already measured in export orders that outlast a congressional majority. American Jobs Behind the Diplomacy Kazakhstan signed its Wabtec agreement in September 2025. The U.S. Commerce Department said the Pennsylvania-based manufacturer would supply 300 heavy-haul locomotive kits over the next decade. It estimated that the deal would support more than 11,000 American jobs. Uzbekistan Airways initially ordered 14 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, with options for eight more. The Commerce Department valued that package at approximately $8.5 billion. The airline subsequently exercised the options, bringing its firm order to 22 aircraft. Those purchases give Astana and Tashkent a direct argument in Washington: engaging with them brings business to American factories. The relationship also gives U.S. manufacturers a reason to support continued engagement, whichever party controls congressional committees. From Biden to Trump The minerals agenda has already survived a change of president. The Biden administration signed a critical minerals cooperation memorandum with Uzbekistan in September 2024, aimed at diversifying global supplies. Under Trump, critical minerals and digital infrastructure remained on the agenda at the October 19 C5+1 meeting in Samarkand. The United States and the five Central Asian republics also backed increased trade through the Trans-Caspian route and closer links between their business communities. Congressional support crosses the same party divide. In October, Democratic Senator Chris Coons and Republican Senator Tim Sheehy introduced legislation to strengthen critical mineral supply chains through mining and processing partnerships with U.S. allies. A bipartisan artificial intelligence (AI) bill, reintroduced in February, similarly aims to strengthen American research and testing capacity. Kazakhstan’s June 2026 agreements with Firebird, a U.S. technology company, cover proposed AI infrastructure and advanced computing capacity. Central Asia offers customers for American technology as well as potential sources of strategic minerals. Both fit priorities Democrats have backed alongside Republicans. The incoming majority has reasons of its own to maintain that engagement. Congress’s Unfinished Business The Democratic majority will take office in January 2027, gaining control of committees and greater influence over legislation and oversight. Central Asian governments will also lose two established advocates. Republican Steve Daines and Democrat Gary Peters, who founded the Senate Central Asia Caucus in 2024, are both retiring that month. Their successors will inherit an unfinished trade agenda. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan remain subject to the Cold War-era Jackson-Vanik Amendment, despite years of calls to remove its trade restrictions. Republican and Democratic lawmakers introduced repeal legislation in November 2025. While American manufacturers are booking Central Asian business into the 2030s, Congress is still debating whether to lift trade restrictions dating from 1974. At a September 2026 House hearing, lawmakers from both parties heard arguments for removing the restrictions. The discussion...

COP31

Opinion: What is on the agenda for Central Asia at COP31?

The 2026 United Nations Climate Change Conference, better known as COP31, is taking place in Antalya, Türkiye, from November 9 to 20. Delegations from almost 200 countries will participate in the event, including all the Central Asian republics, but Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan will play an outsize role in coordinating their messaging and ensuring the regional environmental agenda gets the time it needs in the spotlight. The buzzword for the C5 in Türkiye is “cooperation.” Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources will host a meeting for Central Asia’s five environmental ministers at its national pavilion to discuss regional cooperation and joint climate initiatives. Uzbekistan is committed to contributing to common positions on glacier retreat, water security, adaptation needs, and equitable access to climate finance through the multilateral Mountain Group and the Group of Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs). Turkmenistan will continue pushing for the formation of the Ashgabat Climate Dialogue as a new multilateral platform for promoting climate change initiatives. In line with its Mountain Agenda, the Kyrgyz Republic will be lobbying for support to establish the Global Mountain Resilience Center in Bishkek. Mobilizing affordable climate finance is critical for all the republics. According to the Climate Policy Initiative, global climate finance reached $2 trillion in 2024, against estimated annual mitigation finance needs of $7.8 trillion through 2030. In an interview with The Times of Central Asia, Aziz Abdukhakimov, Presidential Adviser on Environmental Issues and Chair of the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan, stated: “Access to adequate, predictable and affordable climate finance remains essential for developing countries to achieve their climate goals. For Uzbekistan, the implementation of our national climate commitments is estimated to require approximately $33.7 billion for mitigation and $15.7 billion for adaptation by 2030.” Closing, or at least narrowing, that gap requires building support among international financial institutions, multilateral development banks, development partners, and private investors. The GEF Council, meeting in Samarkand ahead of the Eighth GEF Assembly, endorsed a $3.9 billion replenishment package (GEF-9), demonstrating donor interest and tangible commitment to climate projects, including for a restoration project in the Chu and Talas river basins shared by Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, and for a risk mitigation facility to attract private investment into Uzbekistan’s renewable energy sector. But there is hope that commitments at COP31 will go further. In September 2026, during Climate Week NYC, President-Designate Murat Kurum announced that Uzbekistan would be one of the first five pilot countries to receive support under the Climate Implementation Bridge (BRIDGE), the flagship initiative of COP31. This represents an important opportunity to translate national climate priorities into investment-ready projects and facilitate access to international financing. In his interview, Abdukhakimov stated that Uzbekistan’s focus will be “mobilizing investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency, climate-resilient infrastructure, sustainable water management, agriculture and ecosystem restoration.” At the same time, Kazakhstan will be presenting its plans to establish a national climate investment platform, plus a framework partnership program for developing the circular economy across Central Asia. Tajikistan will be...

Child Labor

Child Labor in Kyrgyzstan: Poverty and Gaps in Enforcement

Dozens of children have been found working at markets in the southern Kyrgyz city of Manas, formerly Jalal-Abad. Police officers and social workers spoke to the children’s parents and guardians and issued warnings, Turmush reported on November 2. Nationwide, 19.6% of children aged 5–17 were involved in child labor in 2023, according to a survey conducted by Kyrgyzstan’s National Statistical Committee with support from the United Nations Children’s Fund. Yet the country had just 28 labor inspectors in 2025. Manas is in the Jalal-Abad region, where the survey found one of the country’s highest rates of child labor, at 24%. The figure was 31% in the mountainous Naryn region and 5% in Bishkek. Child Labor and Family Income Children working in Kyrgyzstan's markets may spend their days selling produce or carrying goods for traders. In rural areas, they help with livestock and crop cultivation, including cotton and tobacco. The United States Department of Labor also documents child labor in construction, garment workshops, cafes, and car washes. The survey found that child labor affected 26% of children in the poorest households, compared with 8% in the wealthiest. Boys were more likely to be involved than girls, at 23% versus 16%. Of the 7,200 households sampled, 6,639 were interviewed. The assessment used age-specific thresholds for time spent working or doing household chores. Hazardous working conditions were measured separately and affected 15% of children. Carrying heavy loads was the most common risk, affecting 9%, while other risks included exposure to extreme temperatures or dust and the use of dangerous machinery. Inspections and Legal Gaps Kyrgyzstan's Ministry of Labor, Social Security, and Migration reported in June 2025 that 50 cases involving children in the worst forms of child labor had been recorded in the first three months of that year. This category includes hazardous work as well as exploitation involving forced labor or trafficking. According to inspection figures published by the ministry in February 2026, labor inspectors conducted 1,173 workplace inspections in 2025, identifying 1,885 violations of labor legislation. The ministry did not specify how many involved child labor. The U.S. Department of Labor's 2024 report recommended increasing staffing to 144 inspectors to cover a labor force of approximately 2.9 million people. Using that workforce estimate, the 2025 staffing level amounts to roughly one inspector for every 100,000 workers. The inspectorate's work was restricted for several years by a moratorium on business inspections. The U.S. report said the moratorium was repealed in February 2025, allowing unannounced inspections to resume. However, a new moratorium was introduced in March 2026 and runs through December 31, with exceptions including inspections prompted by complaints. The Labor Code sets the general minimum employment age at 16, with exceptions for younger adolescents. But the U.S. report found that its minimum-age protections did not extend to children working without formal employment contracts. This gap is particularly relevant to family businesses and agriculture, where formal employment relationships are often absent. International Commitments Kyrgyzstan has benefited since 2016 from the European Union's Generalised...