Our People > Sergey Kwan

Sergey Kwan

Journalist

Sergey Kwan has worked for The Times of Central Asia as a journalist, translator and editor since its foundation in March 1999. Prior to this, from 1996-1997, he worked as a translator at The Kyrgyzstan Chronicle, and from 1997-1999, as a translator at The Central Asian Post.
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Kwan studied at the Bishkek Polytechnic Institute from 1990-1994, before completing his training in print journalism in Denmark.

Articles

Population

Kyrgyzstan Aging Population Puts Growing Pressure on Pension System

The number of people above working age in Kyrgyzstan has increased by more than 146,000, or 25%, over the past five years. The country still has a relatively young population, but the growing number of older people is nevertheless raising questions about the long-term sustainability of its pension system. At the beginning of 2026, Kyrgyzstan had a population of 7.4 million, including 737,000 people above the standard retirement age – 63 for men and 58 for women – accounting for about 10% of the population. Women outnumber men in this group by roughly two to one, as they not only tend to retire earlier but also live longer: 76.9 years compared with 68.7 years for men. For international demographic comparisons, the share of people aged 65 and older is more commonly used. In Kyrgyzstan, this group now accounts for 6.4% of the population and is projected to approach 7% around 2030. By comparison, people aged 65 and older make up about 9% of Kazakhstan’s population and roughly 18% in Russia, Belarus, and Moldova. This is not the only challenge facing the pension system. In 2025, the Social Fund – the country's pension pot – had about 1.46 million social insurance contributors and 816,600 pensioners, or roughly 1.8 contributors per pensioner. Social Fund officials have previously said that around three workers per pensioner are needed to maintain the system’s financial sustainability. One reason is the scale of informal employment. In 2024, it was estimated that more than 24% of employed people worked without formal registration. For the pension system, that means fewer workers making regular social insurance contributions. The National Statistical Committee estimated the unobserved economy at 19.5% of GDP in 2024, although its breakdown by economic activity excludes agriculture, which provides a livelihood for a large swathe of the country. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan is developing a program to help older people remain healthy, economically active, and socially engaged as the population ages. The government says the measures are intended to improve quality of life in old age while reducing some of the economic and social pressures associated with an aging population.

13 hours ago

Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

Kyrgyzstan Plans $1 Billion Pharmaceutical Industrial Park

A $1 billion pharmaceutical industrial park is planned in Kyrgyzstan as the country seeks to expand domestic drug production in a market still dominated by imports. The National Investment Agency signed a memorandum on the project with 21st Century Biomedicine on September 29. The full-cycle complex is planned for a 20-hectare site and would be developed in three stages over six years. The park is expected to include a research center, drug-production facilities, a medical devices center, and a business incubator. Less is known about 21st Century Biomedicine itself. The company has little visible public profile, and no clear record of previous pharmaceutical projects appears in publicly available sources. Kyrgyz reports say Bishkek-based MedPharm Consulting will provide organizational, technical, and legal support for the development. The proposal comes amid growing Chinese interest in Kyrgyzstan’s pharmaceutical sector. In December 2024, the government approved an investment agreement for a Kyrgyz-Chinese pharmaceutical project led by Standard Pharm Group, with planned investment of more than $41 million. Chinese investors have since discussed further projects, including a pharmaceutical plant using locally grown medicinal herbs. Drug production at the proposed industrial park is planned to comply with the Eurasian Economic Union’s Good Manufacturing Practice standards, which set common requirements for pharmaceutical manufacturing and quality control across Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia. Meeting those standards would be one requirement for exporting medicines within the EAEU. According to the National Investment Agency, domestic production currently covers around 4% of Kyrgyzstan’s pharmaceutical needs. If the park is completed, the project is expected to raise the country’s pharmaceutical self-sufficiency to 25–30%. The proposed development is also expected to create 2,500–3,000 direct jobs and more than 10,000 indirect jobs. Kyrgyzstan remains heavily dependent on foreign medicines. In November 2025, a Health Ministry official said that imports accounted for around 97% of medicines sold in the country, with domestic producers supplying about 3%. The authorities are seeking to develop domestic production while also expanding infrastructure for storing and distributing medicines. In September, construction began in Bishkek on a state pharmaceutical warehouse and logistics complex for Kyrgyzpharmatsiya, the state enterprise responsible for centralized procurement of medicines and medical supplies for public healthcare institutions. The new facility, worth around $7.4 million, is intended to improve the storage and nationwide distribution of pharmaceuticals. For now, however, the proposed $1 billion pharmaceutical park remains at the memorandum stage.

2 days ago

Commercial Aviation

Kyrgyzstan’s Asman Airlines Considers COMAC Jets

Kyrgyzstan’s state-owned Asman Airlines is considering C909 and C919 jets from the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) while pursuing separate plans to add Airbus A321 aircraft for international routes. Under the proposed cooperation, COMAC will provide technical and commercial information on the two aircraft, while the sides assess whether they would be economical to operate on Asman’s existing and planned routes. Airline representatives will also visit COMAC’s production facilities in Shanghai. The talks will also cover certification. Before Asman could operate either jet, Kyrgyzstan’s State Civil Aviation Agency is expected to help validate its type certificate, the safety approval for the aircraft design. The C909 is a regional jet seating 78 to 97 passengers, with a range of about 1,380 to 2,300 miles. COMAC says it is suited to short and narrow runways and high-altitude airports, a feature that could be useful in mountainous Kyrgyzstan. The C919 is a considerably larger single-aisle jet seating 158 to 192 passengers, with a range of about 2,530 to 3,450 miles. It competes in the same broad market as the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 families. Both models are already in commercial service. COMAC said in February that more than 200 C909 and C919 aircraft had been delivered in total. The C909 has also entered service with airlines in Southeast Asia. The C919’s expansion outside China has been slower. It is certified by the Civil Aviation Administration of China, while European certification remains incomplete. In January, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency confirmed that its pilots had conducted validation flights of the C919 in Shanghai. Asman Airlines currently operates three Canadian-built Dash 8 Q400 turboprops, each seating up to 80 passengers, primarily on domestic and short regional routes. In July, the airline resumed seasonal flights between Almaty and Issyk-Kul. Asman’s parent company, Airports of Kyrgyzstan, signed a deal with BBAM Aircraft Leasing & Management in March to acquire two Airbus A321 aircraft for the carrier. The airport operator said in July that Asman plans to add eight A321s over five years, with the first two forming the initial stage. The European Commission removed all airlines certified in Kyrgyzstan from the EU Air Safety List in June, ending restrictions imposed in 2006. Removal from the list does not automatically authorize flights to the European Union; carriers still need suitable aircraft and the necessary operating approvals. Kyrgyzstan has also been restoring regional airports and domestic routes. Between 2021 and 2025, passenger traffic at the country’s airports increased by 52%, while the number of flights rose by 53%. Five airports were operating in 2021; the government said in March 2026 that all 11 were operational.

5 days ago

Satellites

Kyrgyzstan Prepares to Launch Its First Homegrown Satellite

Kyrgyzstan plans to launch its first domestically developed and assembled satellite in early October, according to the Agriculture Ministry. The spacecraft is intended to collect imagery of farmland, pastures, glaciers, and water resources. The Agriculture Ministry plans to use the data to assess crop conditions and yields, detect drought, and monitor water resources. The satellite has been under development for about two and a half years. Final preparations are underway in Bishkek, including assembling its main components, installing electronic equipment, and testing the system. The launch is scheduled to take place from California during the first week of October. Kyrgyz media have reported October 1 as the planned launch date. The project is being carried out by the state-owned company Kyrgyz Asman. It was established in 2026 under the name Kyrgyz Sputnik and renamed in June. The Times of Central Asia previously reported that the company was created to develop the use of satellite technologies and data in agriculture and natural resource management. The company is to be based in Karakol in the Issyk-Kul region. The imagery is also expected to help assess areas affected by emergencies. For Kyrgyzstan, one of the most obvious applications of such imagery is water management. Mountain glaciers feed the rivers on which agricultural irrigation depends, while satellite observation makes it possible to regularly track changes across large and difficult-to-access areas. Similar projects are emerging elsewhere in Central Asia. In August, the Chinese-built Samarkand-2028 hyperspectral Earth observation satellite was launched carrying an artificial intelligence module developed by specialists from Uzbekistan’s Uzbekcosmos space agency. The data obtained from the satellite is expected to be used for agriculture, environmental monitoring, water and natural resource management, and other applications. Samarkand-2028 was built by China’s STAR.VISION Aerospace. Uzbekistan’s own scientific satellite, Mirzo Ulugbek, is being developed by a team of seven Uzbek engineers undergoing training at Japan’s Kyushu Institute of Technology. Its launch is planned for 2028.

1 week ago

Fuel Supplies

Kyrgyzstan Looks to China to Diversify Fuel Supplies

Kyrgyzstan is looking to turn China into a more regular source of gasoline and diesel as it seeks to diversify its fuel supplies. Bishkek is discussing the construction of oil storage facilities near the Chinese border and a petroleum products pipeline with Chinese energy giants CNPC and Sinopec. Russia supplies around 90% of Kyrgyzstan’s fuel, according to President Sadyr Japarov. A new route could reduce dependence on a single supplier. The talks took place in Beijing on September 23. Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Erlist Akunbekov met with executives from CNPC and Sinopec. Kyrgyz companies are signing petroleum product supply agreements with the two groups, according to the Cabinet of Ministers. The talks come amid disruptions to Russian fuel supplies this year. Bishkek has proposed building oil storage facilities near Torugart and Irkeshtam, the two main road crossings between the countries. The storage facilities are intended to reduce logistics costs. A separate pipeline for petroleum products is also under discussion, providing another potential route for bringing fuel across the border. The talks also cover domestic production in Kyrgyzstan. The two sides are considering the construction of a new oil refinery, as well as joint exploration and development of oil fields. Chinese capital is already present in the sector. The Junda refinery in Kara-Balta, about 60 kilometers west of Bishkek, is controlled by a Chinese investor. The plant has an annual crude-processing capacity of up to 800,000 tons and is undergoing a nearly $194 million modernization program. The upgrade is expected to increase output and enable the refinery to produce Euro 5-standard fuel, which is subject to stricter limits on sulfur and other harmful pollutants. On the same day, Kyrgyz Cabinet Chairman Adylbek Kasymaliev met Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Hangzhou. Kyrgyzstan’s Energy Ministry and China’s National Energy Administration signed an agreement on cooperation in the electric power sector. The government statement did not specify which projects would be covered by the agreement. The proposed pipeline and border storage facilities remain under discussion, separate from the fuel supply agreements being concluded by Kyrgyz companies.

1 week ago

Inflation

Kyrgyzstan Inflation Hits 12% as Government Plans Food and Fuel Measures

Kyrgyzstan plans to curb rising prices by importing livestock and grain, subsidizing fuel, and increasing domestic food production. The draft plan for 2026-2027 comes after annual inflation reached 12% in August, alongside double-digit economic growth. The Ministry of Economy and Commerce published details of the draft plan on September 21. In 2027, the government aims to keep inflation within 7.7-8.5%. Without additional measures, the ministry estimates that inflation could reach 8.7-9.5% in 2027 because of global prices, external shocks, and supply disruptions. Annual inflation had already reached 11.5% in July, up from 11% a month earlier, before rising to 12% in August, according to the National Statistical Committee. The medium-term target of the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic, the country’s central bank, is 5-7%. Much of the plan focuses on food. The state-owned Kyrgyz Agroholding is expected to import at least 20,000 head of cattle from Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Russia, adding at least 2,700 tons of meat to the domestic market. After prices rose in 2025, the authorities imposed limits on the cost of certain types of meat and temporarily banned livestock exports. The draft calls for the construction of four large poultry complexes and 200 livestock facilities with a combined capacity for 10,000 animals. Kyrgyz Agroholding is expected to open 100 direct-sales outlets for meat and agricultural products. The area planted with corn and oilseed crops would be expanded, while 11 trade and logistics centers would be built to store agricultural produce. The draft also calls for flour mills to import 700,000 tons of wheat from Russia and Kazakhstan. The ministry says the imports are intended to ensure that domestic wheat demand is fully covered. The government is also subsidizing fuel. Kyrgyzstan remains heavily dependent on imported petroleum products, with Russia supplying more than 90% of its imported gasoline, meaning higher import costs quickly feed into transportation, food, and service prices. The state compensates importers for part of the difference between purchase costs and regulated retail prices. The subsidies have been extended through December 31, 2026. In Bishkek and the Chuy region, agreed maximum retail prices are 87.9 soms per liter for AI-92 gasoline, about $1; 99.9 soms for diesel; and 48.8 soms for liquefied petroleum gas. Prices are capped at slightly higher levels elsewhere in the country. Without compensation, AI-92 would cost an estimated 111-118 soms per liter and diesel 125-137 soms. A one-year moratorium on increases in a number of regulated tariffs and payments for the population has also been in effect since July 24. High inflation persists alongside rapid economic growth. First Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Daniyar Amangeldiev said GDP had grown by an average of 10.2% annually over the past four years. GDP per capita increased from $1,230 in 2020 to $3,080 in 2025, while the economy grew by another 11% in the first eight months of 2026. In 2025, 1.779 million people, or 24% of the population, remained below the national poverty line, down from 25.7% a year earlier. On...

1 week ago

Agribusiness

Kyrgyzstan Develops ‘Natural Kyrgyz Walnut’ Brand in Export Push

Kyrgyzstan is developing a national brand, Natural Kyrgyz Walnut, to promote its walnuts in international markets. The brand will emphasize the origin of the product in the walnut-fruit forests of southern Kyrgyzstan, with labeling and a traceability system planned to verify its provenance. The marketing plan was developed with support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and presented on September 17. Kyrgyzstan harvests more than 44,000 tons of walnuts annually. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, walnut collection and sales provide income for nearly 60,000 people, primarily in the country’s southern regions. One of the best-known areas is Arslanbob in the Jalal-Abad region, home to ancient walnut-fruit forests. Arslanbob is also associated with a longstanding local legend that soldiers of Alexander the Great took walnuts from the area back to the West. The story is popular in Kyrgyzstan, although there is no historical evidence to confirm it. The FAO describes the walnut-fruit forests of southern Kyrgyzstan as among the world’s most valuable natural ecosystems. Their condition, however, is deteriorating: natural regeneration is declining, while grazing pressure, pests and diseases, land degradation, and climate change are placing additional strain on the forests. Kyrgyz walnuts are already exported to Russia, China, and European Union countries. The brand is intended to help producers distinguish Kyrgyz walnuts in export markets by emphasizing their geographical origin. The next steps will include biochemical analysis of the walnuts and an assessment of opportunities for organic certification, geographical indication registration, and the application of fair-trade standards. A geographical indication would legally establish the link between the product and a particular territory and protect its name. The branding effort comes alongside attempts to improve market access in China. The Times of Central Asia reported on September 18 that Kyrgyzstan and China had begun discussing the mutual recognition of organic certificates. Kyrgyz certification is currently insufficient for products to be marketed as organic in China, meaning the two sides will need to compare their standards and agree on technical requirements.

2 weeks ago

Agriculture

Kyrgyzstan China Move Toward Mutual Recognition of Organic Certificates

Kyrgyzstan and China have agreed to begin work on mutual recognition of organic certification systems, in a move that Bishkek hopes will simplify exports of organic agricultural products to China. At present, obtaining an organic certificate in Kyrgyzstan is not enough for a producer to sell a product as organic in China. The agreement was reached on September 17 during talks in Bishkek with a delegation from China’s State Administration for Market Regulation, or SAMR. The two sides agreed to establish a joint working group to harmonize their organic standards and technical requirements. Training and internships for Kyrgyz specialists were also discussed. The September 17 announcement described a “principled agreement” rather than a signed mutual-recognition arrangement, so it is too early to speak of the Chinese market being opened to Kyrgyz organic products. An organic certificate is only one part of the requirements for exporting food to China. Depending on the product, exporters must comply with separate sanitary requirements covering everything from pests and diseases to processing, packaging, and storage. Overseas food producers and processors may also need to register with Chinese customs through the China Import Food Enterprises Registration system, known as CIFER. In practical terms, mutual recognition could remove one layer of certification, but it would not eliminate other import requirements. Different products are subject to different rules. Approval for Kyrgyz raspberries, for example, does not automatically provide access for beans, honey, or meat. Kyrgyzstan already produces organic goods including beans, apricots, and nuts. Certification could increase their value, but exporters would still need consistent supplies, cold storage where required, and reliable transport across the border. By the end of June 2026, more than 101,000 hectares in Kyrgyzstan were covered by organic production systems. Around 11,400 hectares are cultivated by 11 cooperatives working to international standards, producing goods ranging from cotton and beans to fruit and nuts. Most of the remainder, about 85,300 hectares, falls under a Participatory Guarantee System, or PGS. These lower-cost systems are mainly aimed at local markets and are not automatically recognized abroad. The total area under organic production therefore does not show how much Kyrgyz produce could already be sold in China as organic. A key issue in the negotiations will be which parts of Kyrgyzstan’s certification system China agrees to recognize. By 2029, Kyrgyzstan wants to expand certified organic farmland to about 200,000 hectares and run pilot programs in Issyk-Kul and Naryn to shift more farming toward organic production. The national program also aims for organic products to account for 25% of agricultural production and exports. China has been gradually opening its market to individual categories of Kyrgyz agricultural products. The countries have already signed eight protocols covering products including beans, poultry, wool, and cashmere. Dried fruit exports have begun, while access for several other agricultural products remains under discussion. China has also simplified access for frozen fruit. It removed quarantine-access requirements for imported frozen fruit in August 2024, allowing such products to enter from any country provided other import requirements are...

2 weeks ago

Pharmaceuticals

Kyrgyzstan Pharmaceutical Logistics Complex Begins Construction in Bishkek

Construction has begun in Bishkek on what officials describe as Kyrgyzstan’s first state pharmaceutical logistics complex of its level. The new warehouse is intended to improve the storage and distribution of medicines in a country where imports account for 97% of the market. The complex is being built for Kyrgyzpharmatsiya, a state-owned enterprise under the Ministry of Health that centrally procures and supplies medicines and medical products to public healthcare facilities. It will occupy a 7.1-hectare site. The project will cost 650 million som, or about $7.4 million. The facility will operate in accordance with international Good Distribution Practice, or GDP, standards, which set requirements for the storage, handling, and transportation of medicines to preserve their quality throughout the supply chain. The warehouse will form part of a broader overhaul of Kyrgyzstan’s national pharmaceutical supply system. Established in 2023, Kyrgyzpharmatsiya centralizes orders from public healthcare institutions and enters into direct contracts with manufacturers. Buying in larger volumes is intended to reduce the number of intermediaries and lower procurement costs. A unified state digital platform is also being developed to connect healthcare facilities’ requests with procurement, deliveries, and inventory data. Together with the warehouse, it is intended to provide traceability of medicines from the supplier to the healthcare facility. Funding for medicines and medical products in 2026 is budgeted at 6.8 billion som, or about $77.8 million, compared with 100 million som, or $1.1 million, in 2021. Kyrgyzstan, however, obtains nearly all of its medicines from abroad. Domestic producers account for only about 3% of the market, while medicine imports were projected to reach 34 billion som, or about $389 million, in 2025. This dependence leaves the market vulnerable to exchange-rate fluctuations, border delays, and disruptions affecting foreign suppliers. A domestic logistics center will not reduce the share of imports, but it could reduce storage losses, make it easier to maintain stocks of high-demand medicines, and speed up deliveries to hospitals. Illegal imports remain a separate problem. In November 2025, a Health Ministry official said that 2022 data put the share of smuggled medicines at around 30-40%, an estimate he said remained relevant. The figure is based on older data and should not be treated as a current measure of the market. The new complex addresses an important infrastructure gap, but by itself it does not guarantee lower prices or end shortages. The outcome will depend on procurement planning, contract transparency, and the distribution of medicines from the central warehouse to the regions.

2 weeks ago

Chess

Kyrgyzstan Opens National Chess Academy in Bishkek

Kyrgyzstan is linking school chess programs with advanced training as it seeks greater success internationally. The National Chess Academy opened in Bishkek on September 13, while a pilot program is introducing chess clubs for students in grades three to five at 500 schools across the country. The academy, established under the Kyrgyz Chess Union, will identify and train promising young players. It will also organize competitions and provide a permanent base where they can prepare for national and international tournaments. The academy is part of a national chess development program for 2026–2030. The program also provides for teacher training to support the school clubs and annual presidential awards for the country’s best player and coach. At the opening ceremony, Adylbek Kasymaliyev, chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, said he expected the academy to train talented players and develop a new generation capable of representing Kyrgyzstan internationally. Aida Salyanova, president of the Kyrgyz Chess Union, has said the longer-term goal is to build a system that allows players to progress from school programs to international competition. Creating that system will take longer than opening an academy or launching hundreds of clubs. Young players need years of coaching and regular competition before they can reach that level. Kyrgyzstan already has young players competing at a high level. At the 2025 national championship, International Master Eldiyar Orozbaev won the open event, while Begimai Zairbek Kyzy won the women’s title. Five of the top 10 finishers in the open event were under 20. International Master is the second-highest open title awarded by the International Chess Federation (FIDE), below Grandmaster. Kyrgyzstan has produced one grandmaster, Leonid Yurtaev, who received the title in 1996. No player representing the country has since followed him. This expansion comes at a time of growing chess success across Central Asia. Uzbek grandmaster Nodirbek Abdusattorov won the Tata Steel Chess Masters in the Netherlands in early 2026, one of the world’s most prestigious annual tournaments. Abdusattorov later won the Prague International Chess Festival Masters and rose to fourth in FIDE’s world rankings. Uzbekistan is also hosting the 2026 Chess Olympiad in Samarkand. The event opened on September 15, and play began the following day. The Olympiad is FIDE’s flagship international team competition. Kazakhstan is pursuing a similar approach to chess education. Its Chess in Education program now covers 1,500 schools, while KazChessLab trains future chess teachers and develops teaching methods.

2 weeks ago

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