Kyrgyzstan’s Cabinet Chairman, Adylbek Kasymaliyev, has confirmed his country’s readiness to act as an effective intermediary for the supply of Tajikistan’s products to the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) market.

Kasymaliyev, who also serves as the Head of President’s Administration of Kyrgyzstan, made this statement on March 4 during a meeting with Tajik Prime Minister Qohir Rasoulzoda in Dushanbe as part of his one-day working visit, the Kyrgyz Cabinet’s press service reported.

He reportedly also expressed interest in learning from Tajikistan’s experience in agricultural product processing.

“Kasymaliyev, expressing gratitude for the warm welcome, emphasized the priority of developing good-neighborly relations with Central Asian countries, including Tajikistan, as part of Kyrgyzstan’s foreign policy.  He conveyed warm greetings from President Sadyr Japarov to Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon,” the statement said.

During a constructive dialogue, both sides discussed key aspects of bilateral cooperation, focusing on prospects for trade and economic relations.

Special attention was given to energy cooperation, emphasizing the importance of the CASA-1000 project’s rapid implementation.

Both sides stressed the need to restore direct air connections between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan as a key factor in revitalizing bilateral relations.

The two countries reaffirmed their shared goal of increasing bilateral trade volume to $500 million by 2030.

Border closure and trade decline

A two-way trade between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan has plummeted more than threefold over the past three years, from US$37 million in 2020 to just US$12 million in 2024.

The decline in the bilateral trade followed the April 2021 border conflict, in which dozens were killed and hundreds were injured on both sides.

The border of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan has been the scene of unrest repeatedly since the collapse of the former Soviet Union.  Tensions between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan have remained high until recently, owing to a border dispute, as well as other issues involving irrigation, smuggling, and illegal border crossings.  The border dispute has led to clashes between the two countries.  Kyrgyzstan unilaterally closed the border with Tajikistan in April 2021.  Since then, the 970-kilometer border between the two countries remains closed.

When the border closed, official trade turnover plummeted to nothing.  Smugglers continued to ply their wares across the border, however. 

Currently, trade between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan is reportedly conducted through third countries, such as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.