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

Fuel prices

Kyrgyzstan Moves to Contain Rising Fuel Prices

Kyrgyzstan’s fuel regulator has reached a new pricing agreement with retailers as higher import costs continue to strain the domestic market. The framework applies to AI-92 gasoline and diesel fuel. Liquefied petroleum gas is also covered. Retailers will follow an approved schedule for price adjustments and notify the Antimonopoly Regulation Service when suppliers change wholesale prices. The regulator will monitor the market and consider changes to the schedule when import costs shift significantly. The aim is to maintain supplies while limiting unjustified increases at filling stations. The measure comes as problems at Russian refineries continue to affect regional fuel markets. Kyrgyzstan obtains more than 90% of its imported petroleum products from Russia, leaving it highly exposed to changes in Russian output and export policy. Retail prices still do not include the full increase in import costs, the regulator said. A government subsidy program introduced in May compensates fuel importers and retailers for part of the difference between purchase costs and fixed benchmark prices. Without the subsidies, officials estimate that AI-92 gasoline would cost about $1.20 per liter and diesel about $1.32 per liter. As The Times of Central Asia previously reported, the government removed AI-95 gasoline from temporary price regulation and abandoned plans for maximum retail prices after supply problems emerged.

4 weeks ago

Public health

Kazakhstan and China Launch One Health Research Center in Almaty

Kazakhstan and China have opened a joint research center in Almaty focused on infectious diseases and biosafety. The Center for One Health Research opened on July 27 at the Kazakh National Agrarian Research University, known as KazNARU. It was created under Kazakhstan’s National Academy of Sciences in cooperation with the Chinese Academy of Sciences. During the opening ceremony, four institutions signed a memorandum covering joint research and academic exchanges. The signatories were Kazakhstan’s National Academy of Sciences, KazNARU, Zhejiang University, and the Institute of Microbiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The center will support research into microbiology, veterinary medicine, public health, and infectious diseases. Its work will also cover antimicrobial resistance, food safety, and biological security. The One Health approach recognizes that the health of people, animals, plants, and ecosystems is closely connected. It encourages medical, veterinary, agricultural, and environmental specialists to work together on shared health risks. The World Health Organization says more than 60% of emerging infectious diseases reported worldwide originate in wild or domestic animals. Closer monitoring across human, animal, and environmental health systems can help identify outbreaks earlier and improve prevention. WHO develops the approach alongside the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Organisation for Animal Health, and the UN Environment Programme. KazNARU said the new center would provide a platform for joint Kazakhstan-China research projects. It will also support exchanges involving scientists, lecturers, and students. The initiative expands scientific cooperation between Kazakhstan and China in biotechnology and applied research. As The Times of Central Asia previously reported, institutions from the two countries have also agreed to develop biological crop-protection products and transfer agricultural technologies.

4 weeks ago

Middle Corridor

Uzbekistan Seeks More Freight Capacity Through Kazakhstan’s Caspian Ports

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have instructed their national railway companies to draw up a plan to increase Uzbek freight shipments through the ports of Aktau and Kuryk, expanding Tashkent’s access to markets across the Caspian Sea. Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov and his Uzbek counterpart, Abdulla Aripov, discussed the plan during a July 23 visit to the Aktau International Sea Trade Port. The volume of Uzbek freight handled through Aktau and Kuryk increased by more than 60% in 2025, according to the Kazakh government. “Our task is to provide cargo from Central Asian countries with fast and reliable access to the markets of the Caucasus, Turkey, and Europe,” Bektenov said. Aktau and Kuryk are the main Kazakh ports on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, commonly known as the Middle Corridor. The rail-and-sea route links China and Europe through Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey. For Uzbekistan, one of the world’s two double-landlocked countries, the Kazakh ports provide access to the western section of the corridor. Freight is carried by rail to the Caspian coast before being transferred to ships bound for Azerbaijan. The two governments did not say how much additional freight they expect to carry or when the railway companies must complete their plan. Further growth will depend on tariffs, the availability of railcars and vessels, border procedures, and the capacity of railway lines serving the ports. The combined infrastructure capacity of Aktau and Kuryk is about 22 million metric tons a year, according to Yelzhas Otynshiyev, chairman of Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, the state railway company. Aktau alone can handle as much as 12 million tons annually and operates throughout the year. Container transit through the Kazakh ports on the Middle Corridor increased 3.8-fold between 2022 and 2025, the government said. The first phase of a container hub with annual capacity of 140,000 twenty-foot equivalent units has opened at Aktau. A second phase, due in 2027-2028, is expected to lift capacity to 240,000 TEUs. Kazakhstan has also ordered six container vessels. Four are due for delivery in 2027 and two more in 2028. The additional ships are intended to reduce dependence on the limited pool of vessels operating on the Caspian Sea. Capacity constraints remain at the ports and on the rail network. Falling Caspian Sea levels have made it harder for fully loaded vessels to enter some harbors and increased the need for dredging. Kazakhstan completed dredging at Kuryk in 2025 and plans to finish similar work at Aktau by the end of 2026. The World Bank lists port capacity, rail access, and delays at the Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan border among the main bottlenecks affecting the Middle Corridor. Some freight operators use longer routes because existing border crossings and rail links cannot handle demand efficiently. The bank has also called for additional berths and modern cargo-handling equipment at Aktau as the Caspian becomes shallower. Kazakhstan is upgrading the Shalkar-Beineu and Beineu-Mangystau railway sections that carry traffic to Aktau and Kuryk. In February 2026, the World Bank approved an $846...

1 month ago

World Bank

World Bank Approves $20 Million Project to Boost Cross-Border Water Cooperation in Central Asia

The World Bank has announced a $20 million grant to strengthen transboundary water cooperation in Central Asia. The project is intended to improve management of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya basins as climate change, ageing infrastructure, and rising demand increase pressure on shared water resources. The funding, approved by the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors, will support the Central Asia Water Efficiency Cooperation Project (CAWEC). It will be implemented by the Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (EC IFAS). EC IFAS’s current procurement notice identifies Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan as the participating states. According to the World Bank, limited cooperation over shared water and energy resources costs the region more than $4.5 billion a year. The bank says fragmented reservoir operations, weak data sharing, and ageing infrastructure prevent countries from capturing gains that better regional coordination could provide. The project will strengthen regional institutions, modernize water accounting and information systems, and improve data sharing. By 2031, EC IFAS is expected to prepare feasibility studies, technical documents, and environmental assessments for up to six transboundary water infrastructure projects involving at least two countries. The $20 million grant will not finance the construction of those projects. The preparatory work is intended to help governments attract further investment for irrigation modernization, water conservation and storage, and coordinated management of shared rivers. It will also support digital systems and equipment for the Amu Darya and Syr Darya basins. Up to 100 staff members from regional water organizations will receive training. The World Bank estimates that around 40 million people will benefit directly or indirectly from improved regional water management. The International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea was established in 1993 by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan to coordinate responses to the environmental and economic consequences of the Aral Sea disaster. The project concerns the Aral Sea basin’s two principal river systems. The Amu Darya is formed by headwaters rising mainly in the Pamirs and Hindu Kush and flows through or along Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. The Syr Darya is fed by Tien Shan headwaters and crosses Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan. Both rivers historically fed the Aral Sea. The grant arrives amid severe regional water stress. Central Asian governments agreed 2026 allocations from the Amu Darya and Syr Darya in November 2025, but low reservoir levels and reduced inflows continue to threaten irrigation and energy production. Kazakhstan is pursuing a parallel effort to restore the North Aral Sea, the section of the former inland sea fed by the Syr Darya. In a ministry statement, Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Nurzhan Nurzhigitov said an additional 1.2 billion cubic meters of water should be directed to the North Aral by the end of 2026. According to the ministry, 1.4 billion cubic meters have been delivered since October 1, 2025. The North Aral now contains 23.5 billion cubic meters of water, while salinity has fallen by about 10% from a year earlier. Fishermen caught 4,200 metric...

1 month ago

Yak Farming

Kyrgyzstan Registers New White Yak Breed to Boost Mountain Livestock Farming

Kyrgyzstan has officially recognized the Kyrgyz White Yak as a new livestock breed after more than a decade of selective breeding. The move is intended to support high-altitude livestock farming and create new export opportunities. The breed was unveiled on July 20 at the high-altitude Syrt pasture in Issyk-Kul Region. Developed between 2014 and 2026, the Kyrgyz White Yak is the result of years of breeding work led by veteran livestock breeder Tashtanbek Akmatov. According to the Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry, the animals combine high productivity with strong adaptation to harsh alpine conditions. Unlike traditional dark-coated yaks, the new breed produces naturally white wool and down that can be processed without dyeing, giving it added value for textile manufacturers. Officials say this could help create new export opportunities for Kyrgyz livestock products. Yak farming has been gaining importance in Kyrgyzstan as climate change places increasing pressure on conventional livestock production. At the beginning of 2026, the country had 61,650 yaks, most of them raised in the mountainous Naryn, Issyk-Kul, and Osh regions. Yaks remain on mountain pastures throughout the year and can withstand temperatures as low as -40°C. They are raised for meat, milk, and wool while remaining productive at elevations between 2,000 and 4,500 meters, where other livestock struggle to survive. Officials increasingly see yak farming as a climate-resilient branch of agriculture capable of making use of remote high-altitude pastures while reducing pressure on lower grazing lands. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan has expanded pasture restoration and forage production in response to rising livestock numbers. The programs also support farming in mountain regions.

1 month ago

Oil refinery

Kyrgyzstan Signs $25 Million Deal for Kochkor-Ata Oil Refinery

Kyrgyzstan has signed a $25 million investment agreement for a new oil refinery in Kochkor-Ata, in the southern Jalal-Abad Region, as the country seeks to expand domestic production and reduce its heavy dependence on imported fuel. The agreement between the Cabinet of Ministers and Central Asian Energy LLC covers the construction and operation of the refinery. It was signed on July 20 by Minister of Economy and Commerce Bakyt Sydykov and the company’s general director, Shao Peipei. The plant is expected to have a planned annual output of 450,000 tons of petroleum products and create at least 300 jobs. The agreement stipulates that Kyrgyz citizens should account for at least 90% of its workforce. Sydykov said the project would support industrial development, create jobs, introduce modern technology, and strengthen Kyrgyzstan’s energy security. Shao said the company would invest $25 million under the agreement. The investor said the plant would produce gasoline and diesel in the K-5 and K-6 environmental classes, as well as bitumen and motor oils. The reference to K-6 is unclear because current Eurasian Economic Union fuel regulations classify motor fuels only through K-5. The Ministry of Economy and Commerce said construction was already underway and that the project’s first phase was expected to enter operation by the end of 2026. The ministry did not disclose the source of crude oil or explain whether the $25 million represents the refinery’s full cost, the investment covered by the agreement, or funding for its initial phase. The agreement comes as Kyrgyzstan faces renewed pressure from disruptions in the Russian fuel market. Deputy Energy Minister Nasipbek Kerimov said in early July that Kyrgyzstan consumes approximately two million tons of fuel and lubricants annually and receives almost 95% of that volume from Russia. He said Russian deliveries had declined slightly but that the country still had sufficient reserves. Russia has tightened fuel exports after Ukrainian drone attacks forced several major refineries to halt or reduce production. Gasoline output fell to about 65% of seasonal demand, according to Reuters calculations published on July 10. Kyrgyzstan receives Russian petroleum products duty-free under annual indicative balances within the Eurasian Economic Union. The disruption has highlighted the risks of relying overwhelmingly on one supplier. Kyrgyzstan is also modernizing its two largest existing refineries. The Kyrgyz Petroleum Company refinery in Manas, formerly Jalal-Abad, can process 500,000 tons of crude oil annually. It is undergoing a $410 million modernization project that is expected to be completed by the end of 2027. The upgraded plant is intended to produce AI-92 and AI-95 gasoline meeting K-4 and K-5 Eurasian Economic Union standards. The Junda refinery in Kara-Balta has an annual processing capacity of 800,000 tons. A $193.75 million modernization project is scheduled for completion by July 31, 2026. The work is intended to increase refining depth, improve efficiency, and expand domestic fuel production. Whether the new refinery reduces import dependence will depend largely on where it obtains crude oil. Kyrgyzstan’s limited domestic production means the plant could still rely on...

1 month ago

Civil Aviation

China Launches Beijing-Bishkek Flights as Kyrgyzstan-China Links Grow

Air China, China’s flag carrier, has launched scheduled passenger flights between Beijing and Bishkek, adding another direct link as Kyrgyzstan and China expand economic and transport ties. According to OJSC Airports of Kyrgyzstan, the new Beijing-Bishkek-Beijing service will operate three times a week. Flights are scheduled for Mondays and Fridays, with an additional service on Sundays. Airbus A321 aircraft will operate the route. The airport operator described the launch as a milestone for Kyrgyzstan’s civil aviation sector, saying the arrival of one of Asia’s largest airlines reflects the country’s growing appeal to international carriers and opens new opportunities for travel between Kyrgyzstan and China. The inaugural flight coincided with the 17th meeting of the Kyrgyz-Chinese Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation, held in Bishkek on July 17. The meeting was co-chaired by Erlist Akunbekov, Deputy Chairman of Kyrgyzstan’s Cabinet of Ministers, and Ling Ji, China’s Vice Minister of Commerce and Deputy China International Trade Representative. Discussions covered trade and transport, including logistics. Energy and agriculture were also on the agenda, as were industry and finance. Akunbekov said bilateral economic cooperation had entered a new phase, pointing to several major infrastructure projects. "We have begun implementing large-scale projects such as the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway. The third border crossing, Bedel, has opened, and construction has begun on the Barskoon-Bedel-Uchturfan-Aksu highway," he said. Construction of the Barskoon-Bedel highway began in August 2025. The road will form part of a future transport corridor linking Kyrgyzstan’s Issyk-Kul Region with Aksu Prefecture in China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region via the Bedel Pass. Once completed, the route is expected to shorten the distance between Aksu and Kyrgyzstan by around 500 kilometers and reduce freight transit times by at least 12 hours. The new Beijing route comes amid an expansion of air services between the two countries. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Aero Nomad Airlines will launch direct flights between Bishkek and Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, on August 3. The new air services add to expanding road links and the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project. Officials expect the additional connections to support trade and tourism while making business travel easier. According to Chinese Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Liu Jiangping, bilateral trade reached a record $27.2 billion in 2025, up 20% from the previous year.

1 month ago

Fuel Supply

Kyrgyzstan Fuel Crisis: Bishkek Relaxes Fuel Import Rules to Ease Supply Pressures

Kyrgyzstan has relaxed fuel import rules and extended restrictions on exports as it seeks to mitigate growing pressure on its domestic fuel market amid disruption to Russia’s refining sector. Under a July 13 resolution, the Kyrgyz Cabinet of Ministers suspended, until April 1, 2027, provisions of a 2019 government decree restricting the import of oil and petroleum products by road. The exemption had previously been due to expire on September 30, 2026. The change allows fuel to be delivered into Kyrgyzstan by road tanker, giving importers greater flexibility to obtain supplies through alternative routes. Other requirements governing fuel imports, including transportation safety rules and accompanying documentation, remain in force. The measure comes as Russia, the source of more than 90% of Kyrgyzstan’s imported petroleum products, has imposed temporary restrictions on gasoline exports after Ukrainian drone attacks reduced production at several Russian refineries. At the same time, the Cabinet amended the country’s export rules for petroleum products. The current export ban on crude oil, gasoline, diesel fuel, and other petroleum products transported by road or rail will now remain in effect until Kyrgyzstan’s domestic fuel demand is fully satisfied or until the EAEU’s common oil and petroleum products market becomes operational. According to the government, the changes are intended to stabilize the domestic fuel market and ensure adequate supplies for consumers. The latest measures add to a series of steps taken by Bishkek to address mounting fuel supply challenges. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan is also seeking to increase domestic production of the country’s most widely used AI-92 gasoline by upgrading surplus stocks of lower-octane AI-80 fuel. Earlier this month, the government also eased its temporary fuel price controls after shortages emerged. Emergency price regulation introduced on May 25 established benchmark import prices of $860 per metric ton for AI-92 gasoline, $940 for AI-95 gasoline, $950 for diesel fuel, and $575 for liquefied petroleum gas. However, under a separate July 7 resolution signed by Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Adylbek Kasymaliev, AI-95 gasoline was removed from the list of socially significant goods subject to state price regulation, and retail price caps were abolished. The government said the changes were necessary to restore uninterrupted fuel supplies after AI-95 gasoline temporarily disappeared from filling stations in Bishkek.

1 month ago

Civil Aviation

Kyrgyzstan to Launch Direct Flight Between Bishkek and Urumqi

Kyrgyzstan’s Aero Nomad Airlines will launch a new direct route between Bishkek and Urumqi, the capital of China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, further expanding air connectivity between the two neighboring countries. According to the airline, the inaugural flight is scheduled for August 3 and will be operated using an Airbus A320 aircraft. The airline said the route would support trade and investment and encourage tourism and cultural exchanges between Kyrgyzstan and China. Xinjiang already has established air connections with Kyrgyzstan. In November 2025, China Southern Airlines resumed direct flights between Urumqi and Osh, Kyrgyzstan’s second-largest city. Earlier this year, Airports of Kyrgyzstan JSC also announced the launch of a new route between Osh and Kashgar, another major city in Xinjiang, to be operated by Chengdu Airlines. Xinjiang serves as Kyrgyzstan’s principal gateway to China. Most bilateral trade passes through the region via the Torugart and Irkeshtam border crossings, the two fully operational road links between the countries. According to Chinese Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Liu Jiangping, bilateral trade reached a record $27.2 billion in 2025, representing a 20% increase compared with the previous year. Growing commercial ties have also been supported by institutional cooperation. In June 2024, the Kyrgyzstan-China Trade and Economic Cooperation Center opened in Urumqi, Xinjiang, to facilitate business contacts, promote investment opportunities, and support joint projects between companies from both countries. Kashgar is the Chinese starting point of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, one of the region’s largest infrastructure projects. The planned line would connect western China with Central Asia. The Bishkek-Urumqi service adds another transport link between Kyrgyzstan and China as bilateral trade grows and work continues on the railway.

1 month ago

Border Demarcation

Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan Begin Installing Border Pillars After Completing Border Delimitation

Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have begun installing border pillars along their shared frontier, marking the start of the final stage in implementing the landmark border agreement that ended one of Central Asia’s longest-running territorial disputes. On July 14, representatives of the two countries installed the first four border pillars on the section beginning at the tri-junction where the borders of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan meet. The Kyrgyz-Tajik border stretches 1,008.14 kilometers, while the total perimeter of neutral territory amounts to 14.07 kilometers. The installation of border markers follows the completion of the border delimitation process, which began in December 2002 and is widely regarded as a historic breakthrough in relations between the two neighboring countries. On March 13, 2025, in Bishkek, Presidents Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan and Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan signed the Treaty on the Kyrgyz-Tajik State Border, establishing the legal framework for long-term stability, confidence-building, and sustainable development in border regions. The joint Kyrgyz-Tajik demarcation commission has since carried out field surveys covering approximately 416 kilometers of the border between Kyrgyzstan’s Batken Region and Tajikistan’s Sughd Region. It has identified locations for 1,627 border signs, comprising 1,954 border pillars. Both governments describe the completion of legal border formalization and physical demarcation as a key step toward improving regional security, promoting socioeconomic development in border areas, expanding bilateral cooperation, and deepening relations between the two countries. For decades, the Kyrgyz-Tajik border was one of the most volatile in Central Asia. Disputes rooted in conflicting Soviet-era maps, competition over water resources and pastureland, and the complex geography of enclaves such as Vorukh repeatedly triggered clashes between local communities and security forces. The most serious confrontations occurred in April 2021 and September 2022, when fighting involving heavy artillery and armed drones resulted in military and civilian casualties and forced thousands of residents to flee their homes. The border settlement forms part of efforts by Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan to resolve territorial disputes inherited after the collapse of the Soviet Union. At a summit in Khujand on March 31, 2025, Presidents Japarov, Rahmon, and Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed an agreement defining the junction point of the three countries’ state borders, formally ending decades of territorial disagreements. The three leaders also inaugurated the Friendship Stele, erected at the point where the three national borders meet as a symbol of reconciliation and a new phase of regional cooperation. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan has also proposed establishing the Dostuk, or Friendship, International Trade and Economic Park jointly with Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in the tri-border area. The initiative is expected to boost cross-border trade, attract investment, and create new economic opportunities throughout the Ferghana Valley.

1 month ago

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