A business forum dedicated to industrial cooperation, investment, and trade between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan was held in Bishkek on July 28. Following the event, both sides signed a cooperation plan for the period 2026–2028, as well as several agreements in key economic sectors.
Participants and Goals of the Forum
The forum attracted participants such as Erlist Akunbekov, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Food Processing of Kyrgyzstan; Ravshanbek Sabirov, Head of the National Investment Agency under the President of Kyrgyzstan; Laziz Kudratov, Minister of Investments, Industry, and Trade of Uzbekistan; and Bakyt Sydykov, Minister of Economy and Trade of Kyrgyzstan. Representatives of state institutions, development institutes, and companies from both countries also took part.
The event gathered 115 representatives of Uzbek businesses and 95 Kyrgyz entrepreneurs. The main topics of discussion included expanding trade ties, implementing investment projects, and creating new supply chains.
Dynamics of Bilateral Trade
Over the last decade, trade turnover between the two states has increased by more than seven times, reaching a volume of 1.2 billion US dollars. From January to June 2026, bilateral trade grew by 1.5 times compared to the previous year, amounting to 625 million US dollars. Forum participants noted that maintaining the current trend will allow the countries to achieve the target of 2 billion dollars in annual trade by 2027.
Investment and Industrial Partnership
Special attention was paid to investment cooperation and industrial partnerships. Currently, about 450 joint-capital enterprises operate in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, implementing joint projects in automotive manufacturing, textile industry, healthcare, agriculture, and other fields.
The key instrument supporting joint projects remains the Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan Development Fund, which currently supports 28 initiatives in the fields of transport and logistics, light industry, construction material production, energy, and financial services.
Priority Areas of Cooperation
The sides identified agro-industrial cooperation, the textile industry, pharmaceuticals, and electrical engineering as priority areas. In the agricultural sector, plans include developing seed production, growing potatoes and rice, animal husbandry, and intensive horticulture.
In the textile industry, the countries intend to strengthen interaction in wool and leather processing, as well as finished product manufacturing. Regarding pharmaceuticals, discussions focused on combining production capacities to expand the range of medicines and enter external markets. In electrical engineering, the emphasis was placed on component localization, creating joint ventures, and promoting goods to third-country markets.
Final Agreements
Within the business agenda, entrepreneurs held targeted negotiations on projects in agriculture, food processing, textiles, construction materials, furniture manufacturing, electrical engineering, pharmaceuticals, energy, mining, logistics, tourism, finance, and trade. Both nations also agreed to support direct interregional contacts and hold the first joint Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan regional forum in Uzbekistan before the end of 2026.
The event concluded with the signing of the Action Plan for Developing Cooperation between the Ministry of Investments, Industry, and Trade of Uzbekistan and the National Investment Agency under the President of Kyrgyzstan for the period 2026–2028. Furthermore, the sides exchanged agreements regarding the promotion of electrical engineering products, seed production, agricultural science, energy, healthcare, hydraulic engineering, and the development of industrial zones.