Bishkek has received Kazakhstan’s new ambassador. Abylkair Skakov is beginning his diplomatic mission at a time when Astana and Bishkek are seeking to maintain the momentum in bilateral trade and raise annual turnover to $3 billion, DKNews.kz reports.
On August 26, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan Abylkair Skakov presented his credentials to President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan. Following the ceremony, the two sides discussed political dialogue, trade, investment and cultural and humanitarian cooperation.
Japarov Sends Warm Wishes to Tokayev
After the presentation of credentials, Sadyr Japarov conveyed his warm wishes to President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, congratulated Skakov on his appointment and wished him success in his diplomatic mission.
The Kazakh ambassador, in turn, highlighted the high level of bilateral relations built on traditional ties of friendship, good-neighborliness and alliance.
The official statement emphasized that regular contacts between Tokayev and Japarov, as well as agreements reached at the highest level, continue to give additional momentum to the strategic partnership.
For the new diplomatic mission, the task is clear: preserve the current high level of political engagement while translating agreements into trade, investment and joint projects.
Skakov Took Over the Embassy in July
Abylkair Skakov has served as Kazakhstan’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Kyrgyzstan since July 10, 2026. At the end of July, he presented copies of his credentials to Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and began working-level contacts in Bishkek.
The presentation of the original credentials to the president completes the formal procedure for the ambassador to fully assume his duties.
During the meeting with Japarov, the two sides identified several areas for further work: political dialogue, trade and economic cooperation, investment, and cultural and humanitarian ties.
Bilateral Trade Reached $2.2 Billion in One Year
Economic ties between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have strengthened considerably in recent years.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, bilateral trade reached $2.2 billion in 2025, up 25.9%. Kazakhstan’s exports totaled $1.66 billion, while imports from Kyrgyzstan amounted to $580 million.
For comparison, bilateral trade stood at around $1.7 billion in 2024.
Kyrgyzstan also remains one of Kazakhstan’s largest trading partners within the Eurasian Economic Union. In January-June 2026, it accounted for 8.4% of Kazakhstan’s total trade with EAEU countries, the second-largest share after Russia.
The Next Target Is $3 Billion
Astana and Bishkek have already set a new economic benchmark: raising annual bilateral trade to $3 billion.
To reach that target, the two countries plan to broaden the range of traded goods, deepen interregional cooperation and launch new joint projects. One of the most prominent is the cross-border Industrial Trade and Logistics Complex.
This is where the diplomatic agenda directly intersects with business interests. Further trade growth depends not only on government meetings but also on border capacity, logistics, cargo transit times and the development of cross-border production chains.
Using the 2025 figure of $2.2 billion as a baseline, bilateral trade would need to grow by roughly another $800 million to reach the stated target.
Kazakhstan Remains One of Kyrgyzstan’s Key Partners
Kazakhstan ranks among Kyrgyzstan’s three largest trading partners alongside China and Russia.
For Astana, the Kyrgyz direction is also distinguished by geography. The two countries share a border, both are members of the EAEU and continue to develop direct interregional ties.
That means trade growth depends not only on large investment agreements. Border infrastructure, road transport, the efficiency of checkpoints, and cooperation between small and medium-sized businesses also play a major role.
In August 2025, Tokayev and Japarov formalized a significant part of this agenda during the Kazakh President’s official visit to Kyrgyzstan. The two sides signed a comprehensive cooperation plan and a separate roadmap aimed at increasing bilateral trade.
Kazakhstan’s new head of mission in Bishkek will now be directly involved in advancing this agenda. After the formal presentation of credentials, the key measure of bilateral relations will no longer be diplomatic ceremonies, but how quickly the current $2.2 billion in trade moves toward the $3 billion target.
