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

Rail Logistics

Kyrgyzstan to Build Railway Logistics Center with EBRD and EU Support

Kyrgyzstan’s national railway company, Kyrgyz Temir Jolu, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and the European Union have launched a project to build a modern railway logistics center at Ivanovka station, around 45 kilometers east of Bishkek. The parties agreed on the project during a July 1 meeting, with the EBRD committing grant support for the preparation of a feasibility study. According to Kyrgyz Temir Jolu, the planned logistics hub is expected to make freight transport more efficient and expand Kyrgyzstan’s transit capacity. The company said it would also improve conditions for international transport links. Ivanovka station is located on the railway line connecting Bishkek with Balykchy, a city on the western edge of Lake Issyk-Kul. Kyrgyzstan’s railway network remains relatively limited and largely based on Soviet-era infrastructure. Its main northern rail corridor currently runs from the Kazakh border through Bishkek to Balykchy. In June, Kyrgyzstan began construction of a new railway designed to extend rail access along the northern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul and strengthen Balykchy’s role as a transport hub. The new Balykchy-Tamchy-Cholpon-Ata railway will stretch 86 kilometers and pass through the village of Tamchy, home to Issyk-Kul International Airport. The line is expected to become part of a multimodal transport and logistics hub on the shore of Lake Issyk-Kul. The project adds to a wider series of railway and logistics initiatives centered on Balykchy. The city sits on a strategic corridor linking Bishkek with Naryn and the Torugart Pass. In May, Balykchy opened the new international trade and logistics center Altyn Logistic, aimed at improving transport links between China, Central Asia, and wider post-Soviet markets. Balykchy is also the starting point for the Balykchy-Kochkor-Kara-Keche railway, a 186-kilometer line under construction since 2022. That line is expected to connect the northern rail network with Kochkor and the Kara-Keche coal deposit in Naryn Region, one of the main coal supply sources for Bishkek’s thermal power plant. Officials in Kyrgyzstan have also linked the Balykchy-Kochkor-Kara-Keche line to plans to integrate it with the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, which is under construction. If completed, those projects would significantly raise Balykchy’s strategic importance as a railway junction connecting northern Kyrgyzstan with routes through Naryn, Jalal-Abad, and onward to Uzbekistan. Kyrgyzstan’s railway sector has shown steady growth in recent years. Official data show rail freight volumes reached 10 million tons in 2025, up 36% from around 7 million tons in 2021. Passenger traffic over the same period rose from 255,000 to 432,000, an increase of about 70%.

1 month ago

Investment Inflows

Kyrgyzstan Reports 34% Growth in Foreign Direct Investment in First Quarter of 2026

Kyrgyzstan attracted $386.7 million in foreign direct investment in the first quarter of 2026, up 34% from $288.2 million during the same period last year, according to the latest data from the National Investment Agency under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic. The strongest inflow was recorded in the financial and insurance sector, which drew $93.6 million, followed by the manufacturing sector with $90.1 million. Investment in wholesale and retail trade rose to $64.5 million, while foreign direct investment in information and communications increased by 75% year-on-year to $46.9 million. The sharpest increase came in the professional, scientific, and technical activities sector, where investment jumped from just $1.8 million in the first quarter of 2025 to $49.5 million in the same period this year. By region, the capital, Bishkek, accounted for the largest share of total foreign direct investment, attracting $115.8 million, or 30% of the total. Talas Region ranked second with $80.3 million, representing 20.7% of total inflows, followed by Naryn Region with $69.7 million, Chui Region with $68.6 million, and Jalal-Abad Region with $43.3 million. The latest figures continue an upward trend. In 2025, Kyrgyzstan’s total foreign direct investment reached $1.31 billion, up 27.3% from more than $1 billion in 2024, according to official data. The government has been actively promoting investment in manufacturing, infrastructure, energy, and logistics as part of broader efforts to strengthen long-term capital inflows and regional development.

1 month ago

Trade and Investment

Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan Launch Joint Business Council to Expand Trade and Investment

Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan have established a joint Business Council aimed at boosting bilateral trade and promoting new investment projects, as Bishkek deepens economic engagement with Afghanistan following the removal of the Taliban from its list of banned organizations. The agreement to create the council was signed during an Afghan-Kyrgyz business forum in Bishkek, where officials and business leaders from both countries discussed opportunities in trade, agriculture, food processing, construction, and logistics. The new body is intended to serve as a permanent platform for direct dialogue between entrepreneurs, support joint initiatives, and coordinate business missions, according to Kyrgyz officials. Opening the forum, Temir Sariev, head of Kyrgyzstan’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the move marked a new stage in bilateral economic relations. “Today, we are creating more than just a new structure. We are laying a solid foundation for systemic business interaction, which will increase trade volumes, attract investment, and open up new opportunities for entrepreneurs in Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan,” Sariev said. According to Sariev, Kyrgyz exports to Afghanistan reached a record $50.4 million in 2024. The Afghan delegation was led by Sayed Karim Hashemi, who said Afghan businesses were particularly interested in expanding cooperation in agriculture, trade, and infrastructure projects. Trade between the two countries has accelerated since Kyrgyzstan removed the Taliban from its list of prohibited organizations in September 2024, a move the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry said was intended to support regional stability and strengthen constructive dialogue. In December 2025, Kyrgyzstan opened its Trade House in Kabul, a platform designed to promote Kyrgyz exports and facilitate direct business contacts. According to Afghanistan’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the country’s main exports to Kyrgyzstan include aluminum and copper products, pressure cookers, carpets, fruits, and vegetables, while Kyrgyzstan exports significant volumes of petroleum products to Afghanistan. Kyrgyzstan has also expanded its regional trade infrastructure to support access to the Afghan market. In November 2024, it secured a pavilion at the Termez International Trade Center in Uzbekistan, near the Afghan border. The center has become a key transit hub for trade flows between Central Asia and Afghanistan, offering Kyrgyz exporters a strategic gateway into the Afghan market. The new Business Council reflects Kyrgyzstan’s broader strategy to diversify regional trade routes and strengthen economic ties with southern neighbors amid shifting geopolitical and logistics patterns in Central Asia.

1 month ago

Electric Vehicles

Kyrgyzstan Nears Limit on Duty-Free Electric Vehicle Imports for 2026

Kyrgyzstan has almost exhausted its 2026 quota for duty-free electric vehicle (EV) imports under the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), showing rapid growth in EV demand and re-export activity in the region. As of this week, 14,014 of the 15,000 vehicles allowed under this year’s quota had already been imported, leaving just 986 duty-free slots available, customs data showed. Kyrgyzstan, a member of the EAEU, benefits from an annual quota allowing duty-free imports of electric vehicles alongside fellow member states Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia. The State Customs Service operates a real-time online counter showing quota use, which is updated automatically when EVs are cleared under the exemption scheme. Officials warned that once the quota is fully used, imported electric vehicles will face a 15% customs duty under the EAEU’s common external tariff. In 2025, Kyrgyzstan’s quota was set at 10,000 vehicles and was fully exhausted by September. The number of electric vehicles in Kyrgyzstan has risen steadily, supported by a separate value-added tax exemption. Official data show that more than 200 EVs are imported into the country each day. Even so, electric vehicles still account for only about 0.8% of Kyrgyzstan’s total vehicle fleet, or roughly 15,200 cars, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision. China remains the main supplier of EVs to Kyrgyzstan. However, industry analysts say many Chinese-made vehicles imported into Kyrgyzstan are later re-exported to Russia. According to Sergey Tselikov, head of the Russian automotive analytics agency Autostat, Kyrgyzstan remains Russia’s second-largest channel for new passenger car imports after China. Tselikov said 84% of vehicles imported into Russia via Kyrgyzstan were manufactured in China, including Chinese, European, and Japanese brands. Autostat data show Kyrgyzstan was the largest supplier of new passenger cars to Russia among EAEU member states in 2025, with 53,600 vehicles, compared with 17,100 from Belarus, 11,000 from Kazakhstan, and 344 from Armenia. The figures show Kyrgyzstan’s growing role as a regional trade hub for Chinese-made vehicles entering the wider Eurasian market.

1 month ago

Flood Forecasting

U.S. Companies to Help Kazakhstan Improve Snow Monitoring and Flood Forecasting

United States-based aviation technology firms Dynamic Aviation and Airborne Snow Observatories Inc. will work with Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation to improve snow monitoring, spring runoff forecasts, and early flood warnings, as the country seeks to avoid a repeat of the devastating floods of 2024. The cooperation program was discussed last week during talks between Kazakhstan’s Deputy Water Resources Minister Aslan Abdraimov and representatives of the two American companies, according to the ministry. The project will use aerial monitoring technologies to collect data from river basins, prepare cartographic materials and analytical reports, and integrate that information into Kazakhstan’s flood forecasting and modeling systems. The parties agreed on a phased rollout of the program. The first phase will focus on the Zhabai River basin, where high-precision snow measurements will be carried out using aviation-based technology. The collected data will be integrated into the ministry’s database to refine methodologies, train local specialists, and assess the feasibility of expanding the system to other parts of the country. Later stages will extend monitoring and forecasting to other priority river basins and regions, with the long-term goal of using the system nationwide to improve water management, lower flood risks, and help reservoir operators plan releases more accurately. “It is important for Kazakhstan to have not only up-to-date data but also a practical tool that enables early management decisions, reduces flood risks, and protects the population, infrastructure, and agriculture,” Abdraimov said. The initiative builds on Kazakhstan’s broader efforts to modernize flood management following the severe spring floods of 2024, when rapid snowmelt triggered large-scale flooding across western and northern regions of the country. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan recently launched the Tasqyn flood forecasting and modeling system, which is integrated with the Global Flood Awareness System, an international flood warning network. The 2024 floods destroyed thousands of homes and forced nearly 100,000 people to evacuate, highlighting the vulnerability of Kazakhstan’s water management system to increasingly volatile climate conditions.

1 month ago

Cross-Border Trade

New Kyrgyzstan Ship Registry Raises Oversight Questions

Kyrgyzstan is preparing to enter the global ship-registration market despite having no direct access to the sea, a move that could generate revenue but also expose the country to new regulatory and reputational risks. Kyrgyz lawmakers have adopted legislation allowing merchant ships to register under the national flag, giving the landlocked Central Asian country a potential foothold in an industry normally associated with maritime powers. Lawmakers approved the Merchant Shipping Code and related legislation in late June, including provisions for Kyrgyzstan's accession to 14 international conventions developed under the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The Ministry of Economy and Commerce says the code gives Kyrgyzstan the legal tools to regulate merchant shipping and formalizes its right, under international law, to access the seas and participate in maritime trade, despite having no coastline. In practical terms, the legislation allows seagoing vessels to be registered under the Kyrgyz flag and lays the groundwork for an International Ship Register. It also sets out rules on maritime safety, seafarers’ rights, insurance, and shipowner liability. The move follows Kyrgyzstan’s accession to the IMO in 2024, when it became the organization’s 176th member state. Officials have presented the legislation as a way to give Kyrgyz-registered ships international recognition, attract investment, and create opportunities for Kyrgyz companies in global shipping. The more immediate use case is simpler: a ship registry can generate fees by allowing foreign-owned vessels to sail under a national flag. According to 24.kg, ministry officials told parliament that the registry could eventually bring Kyrgyzstan $10 million-$15 million a year, though they said exact calculations were not yet possible because the number and tonnage of future vessels were unknown. That model is legal and not unusual. Mongolia, another landlocked Asian state, operates a ship registry and was cited by Deputy Economy Minister Sultan Akhmatov when he presented the draft code to lawmakers. But several deputies were unconvinced. Dastanbek Dzhumabekov said the government needed to explain the proposal in clearer language, asking what the code would actually give the country and whether it would become another document that “gathers dust.” Another concern is control. In May, Dzhumabekov warned that if a vessel sailing under the Kyrgyz flag carried sanctioned goods, the result could be a damaging international scandal. Another deputy, Bolot Sagynayev, later claimed that open shipping databases already showed more than 100 vessels sailing under the Kyrgyz flag. Akhmatov said Kyrgyzstan had issued no such permissions, because the maritime administration and ship register had not yet been created, and suggested the listings could be fraudulent. The registry could prove attractive to foreign shipowners looking for a new flag jurisdiction. Open ship registries, often described as “flags of convenience,” are widely used in global shipping and are not illegal. But they have also come under scrutiny because vessels involved in sanctions evasion and shadow-fleet activity often change flags, obscure ownership, or rely on weak registry oversight. There is no evidence that Kyrgyzstan’s new registry is intended for sanctions-busting. But if the country builds a fleet on paper rather...

1 month ago

Kazarman Hydropower Cascade

Turkish Company Launches Construction of $3 Billion Hydropower Cascade in Kyrgyzstan

Construction of the Kazarman cascade of hydroelectric power plants on Kyrgyzstan’s Naryn River officially began on June 25, marking one of the country’s largest energy infrastructure projects since independence. The project, located in the Jalal-Abad region, includes three hydropower plants, Ala-Buga, Kara-Bulun-1, and Kara-Bulun-2, with a combined installed capacity of 912 megawatts and expected annual electricity generation of more than 3.75 billion kilowatt-hours. The cascade is being developed under an investment agreement with Orta Asya Investment Holding, a subsidiary of Turkey’s İhlas Holding, with total investments estimated at $3 billion. At the official launch ceremony, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov described the Kazarman cascade as one of the largest energy projects in the country’s modern history. Japarov said Kyrgyzstan is accelerating hydropower and renewable energy development to strengthen energy security and reduce dependence on electricity imports. “Without developing the electric power industry, it is impossible to ensure the country’s sustainable development,” Japarov said. He noted that Kyrgyzstan imported about 3 billion kWh of electricity during winter in 2020, a figure that has now risen to 4 billion kWh, reflecting growing domestic demand. According to Japarov, electricity consumption continues to outpace new generation capacity despite ongoing construction of small and medium-sized hydropower plants, as well as solar and wind energy facilities. The president said the increase in demand is driven by rapid industrial expansion, with hundreds of new factories and social infrastructure facilities commissioned annually in recent years. Construction of the Kazarman cascade is scheduled for completion by 2031. Japarov said that once the Kazarman cascade and the strategic Kambarata-1 Hydropower Plant become operational, Kyrgyzstan expects to fully cover domestic electricity demand and begin exporting surplus energy to neighboring countries. Kambarata-1, which is being developed jointly with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, will have an installed capacity of 1,860 MW and annual generation of 5.6 billion kWh. In addition to the Kazarman project, İhlas Holding is also involved in building a 250 MW gas-fired combined heat and power plant in Bishkek. The company is further expanding its energy footprint in Kyrgyzstan through the Suusamyr-Kokomeren hydropower cascade, for which the Eurasian Development Bank and Orta Asya Investment Holding signed a feasibility study agreement in September 2025. That project will include three hydropower plants with a combined capacity of 1,305 MW. Under the agreements, Orta Asya Investment Holding will operate the facilities for 20 years, while Kyrgyzstan guarantees the purchase of the generated electricity.

1 month ago

Accommodation Classification System

Kyrgyzstan Launches Accommodation Classification System

Kyrgyzstan has begun accepting applications from hotels, guesthouses, yurt camps, and resorts for a new accommodation classification system aimed at improving service quality and increasing transparency in the country’s tourism sector. The State Agency for Tourism Development said the system will set common standards for accommodation providers and make the market more transparent. It is also intended to increase confidence among tourists. Applications can be submitted online, after which businesses must provide access to an expert for assessment. The classification will include three categories: “stars” for hotels and resorts, “edelweisses” for guesthouses, and “tunduks” for yurt camps. A tunduk is the central wooden crown of a traditional Kyrgyz yurt. The system is voluntary. For businesses, the new classification offers a way to officially confirm their service level, build trust with guests and partners, use the assigned category in advertising, and be included in the Register of Classified Accommodation Facilities. After receiving certificates, accommodation providers will be allowed to display their category on signs, websites, and booking platforms. Tourism is one of Kyrgyzstan’s key economic sectors. Eduard Kubatov, director of the State Agency for Tourism Development, said the country expects to receive about 12 million tourists in 2026. In 2025, about 10 million tourists visited Kyrgyzstan, while the tourism industry’s contribution to the economy exceeded $1 billion. According to Kubatov, tourism currently accounts for more than 5% of GDP, with the figure expected to rise to 7.5% in the coming years.

1 month ago

CKU Railway

Kyrgyzstan Approves Chinese Loan for CKU Railway

Kyrgyzstan’s parliament has approved in the first reading a bill ratifying a preferential loan agreement with the Export-Import Bank of China to help finance the country’s share in the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) railway, one of Central Asia’s largest transport infrastructure projects. The CKU railway is a flagship regional connectivity initiative designed to improve trade routes between China, Central Asia, and beyond. Construction officially began on December 27, 2024, in Kyrgyzstan’s Jalal-Abad region. Once completed, the 523-kilometer railway will connect Kashgar in China with Torugart, Makmal, and Jalal-Abad in Kyrgyzstan before continuing to Andijan in Uzbekistan. The route is expected to carry up to 15 million tons of cargo annually. The project is particularly significant because neither Kyrgyzstan nor Uzbekistan currently has a direct rail connection with China. At present, Kazakhstan is the only Central Asian country with such a link. Construction is being managed by China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway Company LLC, a joint venture established by the three participating countries. The railway is expected to cost $4.7 billion. About half will be financed through a 35-year Chinese loan to the joint project company, which will be responsible for repayment. The remaining $2.3 billion will be contributed as equity, with China holding 51%, while Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan will each contribute 24.5%. According to Kyrgyzstan’s Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Almaz Turgunbaev, Kyrgyzstan will use a $304.5 million preferential loan from the Export-Import Bank of China to finance half of its contribution to the joint company, which will oversee the railway project. Kyrgyzstan’s total share in the project amounts to roughly $609 million, with half funded directly by the state budget and the rest through borrowed funds. The loan has a term of 25 years, including a five-year grace period, with an annual interest rate of 1.5%. According to Kyrgyzstan's Finance Ministry, the grant element of the loan stands at 35.46%. Officials said the funds will be used exclusively to finance Kyrgyzstan’s equity contribution to the joint railway company and cover construction costs. As of January 31, 2026, Kyrgyzstan’s debt to Eximbank stood at about $1.5 billion, making China the country’s largest external creditor. The Kyrgyzstan section of the railway will stretch more than 304 kilometers and is considered the most technically challenging part of the project. It will include 50 bridges and 29 tunnels with a combined length of about 120 kilometers, meaning around 40% of the route inside Kyrgyzstan will consist of tunnels and bridges. The railway is expected to improve regional logistics by creating a shorter trade route between China and Europe via Central Asia, bypassing existing northern corridors.

1 month ago

Sustainable Development

Kazakhstan and China to Establish Zero-Carbon Smart Agriculture Park in Atyrau

Kazakhstan’s Atyrau Oil and Gas University (AOGU) has signed a memorandum of understanding with China’s Shanghai Aiko Solar Energy Company Limited (AIKO) to cooperate in renewable energy, artificial intelligence, agriculture, and advanced technology transfer, as part of efforts to expand sustainable technologies in western Kazakhstan. The agreement includes plans to establish the AIKO-AOGU Zero-Carbon Smart Agriculture Demonstration Park at the university’s new campus in Atyrau, according to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education. The demonstration park is expected to serve as a scientific, educational, and technological platform for testing modern agricultural solutions tailored to the arid climate and limited water resources of the Atyrau region. According to the ministry, the facility will combine renewable energy systems, digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and innovative farming practices to improve efficiency and sustainability. The project will make extensive use of solar energy, AI-powered management systems, water-saving technologies, and automated agricultural solutions. It will also explore the development of aquaculture as an additional sustainable food production option. “The project aims to address several strategic objectives simultaneously,” Utebayev University Rector Gulzada Shakulikova said. “The first stage involves the creation of solar greenhouses and demonstration agricultural plots. Smart irrigation and fertigation systems, water reuse infrastructure, solar power plants and energy storage systems, and digital management and monitoring platforms will also be implemented.” She added that the partnership will also establish a joint AIKO-AOGU exhibition, education, and research center. The initiative is expected to create new opportunities for university researchers and students, allowing them to participate in international-level scientific projects and technology development. The agreement is part of the university’s efforts to develop green technologies and position Atyrau as a regional innovation hub in Central Asia for renewable energy and sustainable development. For Kazakhstan, the project also reflects broader efforts to diversify the economy and modernize agriculture through climate-resilient technologies amid growing concerns over water scarcity and environmental sustainability.

1 month ago

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