
Kazakhstan–Kyrgyzstan relations refers to the bilateral diplomatic relations between the
Republic of Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...
and the
Kyrgyz Republic. Bilateral relationships between the countries, which share
a border, are very strong and Kyrgyz and Kazakh are very close in terms of language, culture and religion. Kyrgyz-Kazakh relationships have always been at very high level and economic and other formal connections of two countries have been greeted with strong appreciation by both nations since the two share a lot in common.
Background
Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan were previously republics of the
Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
. They began their existence as
autonomous
In developmental psychology and moral, political, and bioethical philosophy, autonomy is the capacity to make an informed, uncoerced decision. Autonomous organizations or institutions are independent or self-governing. Autonomy can also be defi ...
republics
A republic, based on the Latin phrase '' res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a state in which political power rests with the public (people), typically through their representatives—in contrast to a monarchy. Although ...
within the
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Russian SFSR or RSFSR), previously known as the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and the Russian Soviet Republic, and unofficially as Soviet Russia,Declaration of Rights of the labo ...
before 1936 when it was split into Soviet republics of
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...
and
Kirghizia.
During
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...
's rule, between
1930 and 1944, there were a number of ethnic groups such as the
Kurds
Kurds (), or the Kurdish people, are an Iranian peoples, Iranic ethnic group from West Asia. They are indigenous to Kurdistan, which is a geographic region spanning southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Iraq, and northeastern Syri ...
,
Kalmyks
Kalmyks (), archaically anglicised as Calmucks (), are the only Mongolic ethnic group living in Europe, residing in the easternmost part of the European Plain.
This dry steppe area, west of the lower Volga River, known among the nomads as ...
,
Chechens
The Chechens ( ; , , Old Chechen: Нахчой, ''Naxçoy''), historically also known as ''Kistin, Kisti'' and ''Durdzuks'', are a Northeast Caucasian languages, Northeast Caucasian ethnic group of the Nakh peoples native to the North Caucasus. ...
,
Ingush or
Balkars that were sent to Kazakhstan or Kirghzia while nomadic Kazakhs were then deported from Kazakhstan.
While the cultures and traditions were maintained, the nationalism rose during the late 1980s under
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (2 March 1931 – 30 August 2022) was a Soviet and Russian politician who served as the last leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to dissolution of the Soviet Union, the country's dissolution in 1991. He served a ...
's policies of ''
glasnost
''Glasnost'' ( ; , ) is a concept relating to openness and transparency. It has several general and specific meanings, including a policy of maximum openness in the activities of state institutions and freedom of information and the inadmissi ...
'' and ''
perestroika
''Perestroika'' ( ; rus, перестройка, r=perestrojka, p=pʲɪrʲɪˈstrojkə, a=ru-perestroika.ogg, links=no) was a political reform movement within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) during the late 1980s, widely associ ...
''.
In March 1991, Kazakhstan and Kirghizia participated in
a referendum in an attempt to preserve the Union as a renewed
federation of sovereign states. During the
failed coup that happened in
Moscow
Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
in August 1991,
Askar Akayev
Askar Akayevich Akayev (, ; born 10 November 1944) is a Kyrgyz former politician who served as President of Kyrgyzstan from 1990 until being overthrown in the March 2005 Tulip Revolution.
Education and early career
Akayev was born in Kyzyl-B ...
and
Nursultan Nazarbayev
Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev (born 6 July 1940) is a Kazakhstani politician who served as the first president of Kazakhstan from 1991 to 2019. He also held the special title of Elbasy from 2010 to 2022 and chairman of the Security Council of ...
condemned the communist hardliners.
Shortly after the events of the aborted coup, Kirghizia (renamed to Kyrgyzstan) and Kazakhstan declared their independence on August 31 and December 16 respectively before the
final dissolution of the Soviet Union on December 26, 1991 when it ceased to exist. Relations between the two countries began in 1992.
Modern era
On April 26, 2007, the presidents of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan signed an agreement to create an "International Supreme Council" between the two states. This historic event took place during an official visit of the Kazakh president to the Kyrgyzstan capital, Bishkek.
[ ''This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.'' Deprecated link.] Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...
is extremely important to northern
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan, officially the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia lying in the Tian Shan and Pamir Mountains, Pamir mountain ranges. Bishkek is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Kyrgyzstan, largest city. Kyrgyz ...
.
[ Martha Brill Olcott. "Central Asian Neighbors"]
''Kyrgyzstan: a country study''
(Glenn E. Curtis, editor). Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...
Federal Research Division
The Federal Research Division (FRD) is the research and analysis unit of the United States Library of Congress.
The Federal Research Division provides directed research and analysis on domestic and international subjects to agencies of the Unite ...
(March 1996). ''This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.'' For some period in the mid-1990s, the virtual closure of
Manas Airport at
Bishkek
Bishkek, formerly known as Pishpek (until 1926), and then Frunze (1926–1991), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Kyrgyzstan. Bishkek is also the administrative centre of the Chüy Region. Bishkek is situated near the Kazakhstan ...
made Kazakhstan's capital,
Almaty
Almaty, formerly Alma-Ata, is the List of most populous cities in Kazakhstan, largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population exceeding two million residents within its metropolitan area. Located in the foothills of the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains ...
, the principal point of entry to Kyrgyzstan.
[ Kyrgyzstan's northwestern city of Talas receives nearly all of its services through the city of ]Taraz
Taraz ( ; also historically known as Talas) is a city and the administrative center of Jambyl Region in Kazakhstan, located on the Talas (river), Talas (Taraz) River in the south of the country near the border with Kyrgyzstan. It had a populatio ...
, across the border in Kazakhstan.[
]
Kyrgyz election of 2017
During the 2017 Kyrgyz presidential election, on October 7, 2017, president Almazbek Atambayev accused Kazakhstan of sponsoring and backing one of the presidential candidates. He also accused Kazakhstan officials for being corrupt by looting the pensioners income. Upon his disapproval, on October 9, Atambayev's office also announced that he was cancelling his attendance at an upcoming CIS heads of state summit in the Russian city of Sochi
Sochi ( rus, Сочи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg, from – ''seaside'') is the largest Resort town, resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi (river), Sochi River, along the Black Sea in the North Caucasus of Souther ...
. An event that would have required the Kyrgyz leader to meet president of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev
Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev (born 6 July 1940) is a Kazakhstani politician who served as the first president of Kazakhstan from 1991 to 2019. He also held the special title of Elbasy from 2010 to 2022 and chairman of the Security Council of ...
. Due to the outlash, Kazakhstan border officials imposed a high-security regime at 6 pm on October 10, massively slowing down the passage of travelers and dispatched several truckloads of troops to the border and erected checkpoints. The troops are reportedly set to remain there until after Kyrgyzstan's elections are over. The Kyrgyz border service then replied with its own high-security regime two hours later.
In response to the allegations from Atambayev, the Kazakh Central Election Commission (OSK) declined an invitation to monitor the elections.
Relations under Sooronbay Jeenbekov
Relations under President Sooronbay Jeenbekov in the military sphere reached a new level, with Kazakh Defense Minister Saken Zhasuzakov becoming the first Kazakh military leader to visit Bishkek
Bishkek, formerly known as Pishpek (until 1926), and then Frunze (1926–1991), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Kyrgyzstan. Bishkek is also the administrative centre of the Chüy Region. Bishkek is situated near the Kazakhstan ...
in July 2018.
Economic relations
Kazakhstan's direct investment in the Kyrgyz economy has been rapidly gaining pace since the early 2000s. Today Kazakhstan's economic presence is felt throughout northern Kyrgyzstan, from banks to small businesses, cars with Kazakh plates and numerous tourists. For the most, the Kyrgyz are welcoming these trends as both countries share a similar culture and traditions.
During the last five years Kazakhstan invested about 400 million dollars in Kyrgyzstan and is considered the largest investor. Thirty-three percent of the total Kyrgyzstan bank's equity belongs to Kazakh investors. There are about 2,000 enterprises functioning in Kyrgyzstan, and 500 belong to Kazakh entrepreneurs. Kazakh-Kyrgyz unification is in the economic interests of both countries. "I do not see any problem in unification with another country. In the future we should unite with this or another state, anyway. Unification with Kazakhstan will be a good accelerator for our economic development," said lawmaker Juraev.[
In 2007, the President of Kazakhstan ]Nursultan Nazarbayev
Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev (born 6 July 1940) is a Kazakhstani politician who served as the first president of Kazakhstan from 1991 to 2019. He also held the special title of Elbasy from 2010 to 2022 and chairman of the Security Council of ...
suggested the creation of a fund to facilitate Kyrgyzstan's economic development. However, the sides started implementing this project only in 2011. KKIF was created with a capital of US$100 million, fully funded by Kazakhstan. Its main objective is to render financial assistance to Kyrgyzstan's economy through implementation of the priority projects on its territory and effective development of small and medium businesses in Kyrgyzstan.
In 2014, Deputy Secretary General of the Turkic-speaking states Cooperation Council (Turk-ssCC) Adakhan Madumarov spoke about the Great Silk Way project that would bring tourism to both Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.
In 2021, it was reported that the trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan reached US$680 million - a growth of 9% over the first nine months of 2021.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan Relations
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan, officially the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia lying in the Tian Shan and Pamir Mountains, Pamir mountain ranges. Bishkek is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Kyrgyzstan, largest city. Kyrgyz ...
Bilateral relations of Kyrgyzstan