# Foreign relations of Kyrgyzstan

"none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]]
Kyrgyzstan has close relations with other members of the Commonwealth of Independent States, particularly Kazakhstan and Russia, given the historical legacy of the Soviet Union. It also has close relations with Turkey as well, given their shared heritage as Turkic languages.
While Kyrgyzstan was initially determined to stay in the ruble zone, the stringent conditions set forth by the Russian Government prompted Kyrgyzstan to introduce its own currency, the som, in May 1993. Kyrgyzstan's withdrawal from the ruble zone was done with little prior notification and initially caused tensions in the region. Both Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan temporarily suspended trade, and Uzbekistan even introduced restrictions tantamount to economic sanctions. Both nations feared an influx of rubles and an increase in inflation. Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan's hostility toward Kyrgyzstan was short-lived, and the three nations signed an agreement in January 1994 creating an economic union. This led to the relaxation of border restrictions between the nations the following month. Kyrgyzstan also has contributed to the CIS peacekeeping forces in Tajikistan.
Turkey has sought to capitalize on its cultural and ethnic links to the region and has found Kyrgyzstan receptive to cultivating bilateral relations. The Kyrgyz Republic also has experienced a dramatic increase in trade with the People's Republic of China, its southern neighbor. Kyrgyzstan has been active in furthering regional cooperation, such as joint military exercises with Uzbek and Kazakh troops.
In January 1999, a new OSCE office opened in Bishkek; on February 18, 2000, the OSCE announced that an additional office would open in Osh to assist Bishkek in carrying out its work. Kyrgyzstan is a member of the OSCE, the CIS, and the United Nations.

## Diplomatic relations

List of countries which Kyrgyzstan maintains diplomatic relations with:
Date :
| 1 | Turkey | 23 December 1991 |
| 2 | Australia | 26 December 1991 |
| 3 | United States | 27 December 1991 |
| 4 | Albania | 4 January 1992 |
| 5 | China | 5 January 1992 |
| 6 | Egypt | 9 January 1992 |
| 7 | North Korea | 21 January 1992 |
| 8 | Japan | 26 January 1992 |
| 9 | South Africa | 26 January 1992 |
| 10 | South Korea | 31 January 1992 |
| 11 | Germany | 3 February 1992 |
| 12 | Poland | 10 February 1992 |
| 13 | Switzerland | 14 February 1992 |
| 14 | Canada | 17 February 1992 |
| 15 | Cyprus | 20 February 1992 |
| 16 | France | 28 February 1992 |
| 17 | Bangladesh | 3 March 1992 |
| 18 | Israel | 4 March 1992 |
| 19 | India | 18 March 1992 |
| 20 | Cuba | 20 March 1992 |
| 21 | Russia | 20 March 1992 |
| 22 | Finland | 23 March 1992 |
| 23 | Italy | 24 March 1992 |
| 24 | Austria | 25 March 1992 |
| 25 | Belgium | 25 March 1992 |
| 26 | Sweden | 25 March 1992 |
| 27 | Madagascar | 26 March 1992 |
| 28 | Mexico | 27 March 1992 |
| 29 | Malaysia | 2 April 1992 |
| 30 | Spain | 3 April 1992 |
| 31 | Hungary | 16 April 1992 |
| 32 | Mongolia | 22 April 1992 |
| 33 | Philippines | 22 April 1992 |
| 34 | Denmark | 8 May 1992 |
| 35 | Iran | 10 May 1992 |
| 36 | Pakistan | 10 May 1992 |
| 37 | Oman | 18 May 1992 |
| 38 | Bulgaria | 20 May 1992 |
| 39 | Luxembourg | 26 May 1992 |
| 40 | Vietnam | 4 June 1992 |
| 41 | Netherlands | 10 June 1992 |
| 42 | Greece | 12 June 1992 |
| 43 | United Kingdom | 12 June 1992 |
| 44 | Romania | 15 June 1992 |
| 45 | Ghana | 26 June 1992 |
| 46 | Morocco | 26 June 1992 |
| 47 | Norway | 26 June 1992 |
| 48 | Georgia | 10 July 1992 |
| 49 | Lithuania | 23 July 1992 |
| 50 | Thailand | 6 August 1992 |
| 51 | Portugal | 18 August 1992 |
| — | Holy See | 27 August 1992 |
| 52 | Singapore | 27 August 1992 |
| 53 | New Zealand | 7 September 1992 |
| 54 | Ukraine | 18 September 1992 |
| 55 | Argentina | 6 October 1992 |
| 56 | Turkmenistan | 9 October 1992 |
| 57 | Kazakhstan | 15 October 1992 |
| 58 | Saudi Arabia | 19 October 1992 |
| 59 | Moldova | 30 October 1992 |
| 60 | Mali | 5 November 1992 |
| 61 | Tunisia | 25 November 1992 |
| 62 | Czech Republic | 1 January 1993 |
| 63 | Slovakia | 1 January 1993 |
| 64 | Armenia | 9 January 1993 |
| 65 | Chad | 11 January 1993 |
| 66 | Tajikistan | 14 January 1993 |
| 67 | Azerbaijan | 19 January 1993 |
| 68 | Belarus | 21 January 1993 |
| 69 | Guatemala | 10 February 1993 |
| 70 | Jordan | 10 February 1993 |
| 71 | Uzbekistan | 16 February 1993 |
| 72 | Malta | 19 February 1993 |
| 73 | Libya | 25 February 1993 |
| 74 | Latvia | 18 March 1993 |
| 75 | Nepal | 26 March 1993 |
| 76 | Indonesia | 5 April 1993 |
| 77 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 23 April 1993 |
| 78 | Syria | 28 May 1993 |
| 79 | Brazil | 6 August 1993 |
| 80 | Uruguay | 13 August 1993 |
| 81 | Maldives | 31 August 1993 |
| 82 | Zambia | 17 September 1993 |
| 83 | Colombia | 6 October 1993 |
| 84 | Slovenia | 19 January 1994 |
| 85 | North Macedonia | 7 June 1994 |
| 86 | Kuwait | 17 December 1994 |
| 87 | Samoa | 14 February 1995 |
| 88 | Cambodia | 20 March 1995 |
| 89 | Laos | 13 June 1995 |
| — | State of Palestine | 12 September 1995 |
| 90 | Bahrain | 9 February 1996 |
| 91 | Brunei | 15 March 1996 |
| 92 | Estonia | 12 April 1996 |
| 93 | United Arab Emirates | 1 August 1996 |
| 94 | Sri Lanka | 19 August 1996 |
| 95 | Algeria | 21 December 1996 |
| 96 | Croatia | 23 December 1996 |
| 97 | Yemen | 20 May 1997 |
| 98 | Qatar | 3 March 1998 |
| 99 | Serbia | 25 June 1998 |
| 100 | Peru | 2 January 1999 |
| 101 | Chile | 9 August 1999 |
| 102 | Liechtenstein | 16 September 1999 |
| 103 | Afghanistan | 12 November 1999 |
| 104 | Jamaica | 25 February 2000 |
| 105 | Ireland | 23 June 2000 |
| 106 | Gambia | 30 June 2000 |
| 107 | Namibia | 29 November 2000 |
| 108 | Kenya | 12 December 2000 |
| 109 | Iceland | 2 April 2001 |
| 110 | Costa Rica | 24 September 2001 |
| 111 | Myanmar | 9 November 2001 |
| 112 | San Marino | 20 September 2004 |
| 113 | Benin | 29 January 2009 |
| 114 | Montenegro | 24 June 2009 |
| 115 | Senegal | 2 April 2010 |
| 116 | Dominican Republic | 30 June 2011 |
| 117 | Tuvalu | 14 September 2011 |
| 118 | Paraguay | 23 May 2012 |
| 119 | Fiji | 14 February 2014 |
| 120 | Eritrea | 27 February 2014 |
| 121 | Seychelles | 5 March 2014 |
| 122 | Uganda | 19 March 2014 |
| 123 | Andorra | 26 September 2014 |
| 124 | Solomon Islands | 22 December 2014 |
| 125 | Djibouti | 3 June 2015 |
| 126 | Guinea | 8 September 2015 |
| 127 | Ivory Coast | 25 September 2015 |
| 128 | Sudan | 26 September 2015 |
| 129 | Mauritania | 30 September 2015 |
| 130 | Togo | 30 September 2015 |
| 131 | Iraq | 5 November 2015 |
| 132 | Republic of the Congo | 3 February 2016 |
| 133 | El Salvador | 17 March 2016 |
| 134 | Mauritius | 16 June 2016 |
| 135 | Liberia | 17 June 2016 |
| 136 | Ethiopia | 23 July 2016 |
| 137 | Guyana | 23 September 2016 |
| 138 | Suriname | 23 September 2016 |
| 139 | Dominica | 17 October 2016 |
| 140 | Sierra Leone | 1 November 2016 |
| 141 | Central African Republic | 21 November 2016 |
| 142 | Ecuador | 13 December 2016 |
| 143 | Marshall Islands | 22 December 2016 |
| 144 | Monaco | 9 March 2017 |
| 145 | Nicaragua | 7 July 2017 |
| 146 | Lesotho | 20 July 2017 |
| 147 | Lebanon | 29 July 2017 |
| 148 | Burundi | 23 November 2017 |
| 149 | Zimbabwe | 8 December 2017 |
| 150 | Equatorial Guinea | 7 June 2018 |
| 151 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 8 June 2018 |
| 152 | Venezuela | 28 September 2018 |
| 153 | Federated States of Micronesia | 30 October 2018 |
| 154 | Bolivia | 30 May 2019 |
| 155 | Grenada | 3 June 2019 |
| 156 | Cape Verde | 26 September 2019 |
| 157 | Kiribati | 26 September 2019 |
| 158 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 26 September 2019 |
| 159 | Vanuatu | 26 September 2019 |
| 160 | Cameroon | 27 September 2019 |
| 161 | Mozambique | 27 September 2019 |
| 162 | Nauru | 30 January 2020 |
| 163 | Antigua and Barbuda | 3 June 2021 |
| 164 | Panama | 24 September 2021 |
| 165 | Palau | 7 October 2021 |
| 166 | Malawi | 23 September 2022 |
| 167 | Tonga | 7 December 2022 |
| 168 | Rwanda | 13 December 2022 |
| 169 | Saint Lucia | 20 September 2023 |
| 170 | Angola | 27 September 2024 |
| 171 | Guinea-Bissau | 6 February 2025 |
| 172 | Botswana | 5 March 2025 |

## Bilateral relations

| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
| Armenia | January 1993 | Both countries established diplomatic relations in January 1993 by protocol. Armenia is represented in Kyrgyzstan through its embassy in Astana, Kazakhstan and an honorary consulate in Bishkek. Kyrgyzstan is represented in Armenia through its embassy in Moscow, Russia. Both countries are members of the Commonwealth of Independent States, Collective Security Treaty Organization and Commonwealth of Independent States Free Trade Area. |
| Australia | | Australia is represented in Kyrgyzstan by its embassy in Moscow, Russia. |
| Azerbaijan | | See Azerbaijan–Kyrgyzstan relations Azerbaijan has an embassy in Bishkek. Kyrgyzstan has an embassy in Baku. |
| China | | See China–Kyrgyzstan relations As of 1996, relations between both nations were an area of substantial uncertainty for the government in Bishkek. The free-trade zone in Naryn attracted large numbers of Chinese businesspeople, who came to dominate most of the republic's import and export of small goods. Most of these trades are in barter conducted by ethnic Kyrgyz or Kazakhs who are Chinese citizens. The Kyrgyzstani government has expressed alarm over the numbers of Chinese who are moving into Naryn and other parts of Kyrgyzstan, but no preventive measures had been taken as of 1996. |
| Croatia | 23 December 1996 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on December 23, 1996. Both countries are full members of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. |
| Cyprus | 20 February 1992 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on February 20, 1992. Both countries are full members of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. |
| Estonia | 1996 | Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1996. Both countries are full members of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. |
| Finland | | See Finland–Kyrgyzstan relations |
| France | | France has an embassy in Bishkek. Kyrgyzstan has an embassy in Paris. |
| Georgia | | Georgia is represented in Kyrgyzstan by its embassy in Astana, Kazakhstan. Kyrgyzstan is represented in Georgia by its embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan. Both countries are full members of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. |
| Germany | | Germany has an embassy in Bishkek. Kyrgyzstan has an embassy in Berlin. |
| Greece | 1992 | See Greece-Kyrgyzstan relations Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1992. Greece is represented in Kyrgyzstan through its embassy in Almaty (Kazakhstan). Kyrgyzstan is represented in Greece through a non resident ambassador based in Bishkek (in the Foreign Ministry). Kyrgyz consular representation in Greece is made by the Kazakh consulate in Athens. On November 1, 2004, Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev made an official visit to Greece. A Foreign Ministry delegation from Greece visited Dushanbe for talks, and had meetings with Tajikistans Foreign Minister Zarifi and First Deputy Foreign Minister Youldashev in 2008. Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis met with Tajikistans Foreign Minister Zarifi during the 1st EU-Central Asia Forum on security issues in Paris in September 2008. There are between 650 and 700 people of Greek descent living in Kyrgyzstan. However, the data of the General Secretariat For Greeks Abroad give an even lower number (50 people). In 2004 Greece and Kyrgyzstan signed a bilateral agreement for air transports, tourism and diplomacy during Kyrgyz president Askar Akayev's visit to Greece. |
| India | 18 March 1992 | See Kyrgyzstan–India relations Since the independence of Kyrgyz Republic on 31 August 1991, India was among the first to establish bilateral diplomatic relations on 18 March 1992; the resident Mission of India was set up in 1994. Political ties with the Kyrgyz Republic have been traditionally warm and friendly. The Kyrgyz leaderships have been largely supportive of India's stand on Kashmir and have welcomed the ongoing peace process. Kyrgyzstan also supports India's bid for permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council and India's role in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). India also has strong educational ties with the country. The Defense Minister Omuraliyev was enthusiastic about the prospects of military cooperation in a radio interview with Free Europe in September 2013. "Many are skeptical, thinking that Kyrgyzstan and India can't have mutual interests in military relations.... But we have had a very close partnership in the defense sphere." He specified foreign language (presumably English) training, military medicine and preparing for United Nations peacekeeping missions as specific areas of cooperation. |
| Iran | | See Iran–Kyrgyzstan relations Iran–Kyrgyzstan relations are foreign and diplomatic relations between Kyrgyzstan and Iran. Bilateral relations between Iran and Kyrgyzstan are more or less even and somewhat relaxed. On September 12, 2013, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani expressed political will to enhance relations with Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. |
| Japan | 26 January 1992 | Diplomatic relations between Japan and Kyrgyzstan were established on 26 January 1992. Japan opened an embassy in Bishkek in January 2003, and Kyrgyzstan opened an embassy in Tokyo in April 2004. |
| Kazakhstan | | See Kazakhstan–Kyrgyzstan relations Bilateral relationships between the countries are very strong and Kyrgyz and Kazakh are very close in terms of language, culture and religion. Kyrgyz-Kazakh relationships have always been friendly and economic and other formal unifications of two countries have been greeted with strong appreciation since the two nations have a lot in common. On Apr. 26, 2007 Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan signed an agreement to create an "International Supreme Council". This historic event took place during an official visit of the Kazakh president to the Kyrgyzstan capital, Bishkek. |
| Latvia | 18 March 1993 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 18 March 1993. Both countries are full members of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. |
| Lithuania | 3 July 1992 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 3 July 1992. Both countries are full members of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. |
| Malaysia | | See Kyrgyzstan–Malaysia relations Kyrgyzstan has an embassy in Kuala Lumpur, while Malaysia embassy in Tashkent is also accredited to Kyrgyzstan. |
| Malta | 19 February 1993 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 19 February 1993. Both countries are full members of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. |
| Mexico | 14 January 1992 | Kyrgyzstan is accredited to Mexico from its embassy in Washington, D.C., United States. Mexico is accredited to Kyrgyzstan from its embassy in Tehran, Iran. |
| Moldova | | Kyrgyzstan is accredited to Moldova from its embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine. Moldova is accredited to Kyrgyzstan from its embassy in Moscow, Russia. |
| North Korea | 30 January 1992 |
| Pakistan | 20 December 1991 | See Kyrgyzstan–Pakistan relations Relations between the two countries were established on 20 December 1991 shortly after Kyrgyzstan became independent from the Soviet Union. |
| Poland | | See Kyrgyzstan–Poland relations |
| Romania | 15 June 1992 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on June 15, 1992. Both countries are full members of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. |
| Russia | | See Kyrgyzstan–Russia relations President Almazbek Atambayev and Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev during the Moscow Victory Day Parade, 9 May 2015 Whereas the other Central Asian republics have sometimes complained of Russian interference, Kyrgyzstan has more often wished for more attention and support from Moscow than it has been able to obtain. For all the financial support that the world community has offered, Kyrgyzstan remains economically dependent on Russia, both directly and through Kazakhstan. In early 1995, Askar Akayev, the then President of Kyrgyzstan, attempted to sell Russian companies controlling shares in the republic's twenty-nine largest industrial plants, an offer that Russia refused. |
| Serbia | 1998 | Both countries have established diplomatic relations in 1998. In 2011, the total trade value amounted EUR 3,5 million. |
| South Korea | 31 January 1992 | The Republic of Korea and Kyrgyzstan have had official relations since 31 January 1992. On the sidelines of the 69th session of the UN General Assembly, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se met with his Kyrgyz counterpart Yerlan Abdyldaev on September 26. In the meeting, the two diplomats discussed matters of mutual concern including ways to boost high-level exchanges to step up substantive cooperation and work together on the international stage. The two sides shared the view that their countries have seen their bilateral relations move forward in diverse fields since the visit of Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev to the Republic of Korea in November 2013. The meeting resulted in an agreement to increase high-level exchanges in order to further enhance friendship and cooperation between the two countries. |
| Spain | | See Kyrgyzstan–Spain relations |
| Switzerland | 1993 | Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1993. |
| Tajikistan | | See Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan relations Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan relations have been tense. Refugees and antigovernment fighters in Tajikistan have crossed into Kyrgyzstan several times, even taking hostages. Kyrgyzstan attempted to assist in brokering an agreement between contesting Tajikistani forces in October 1992 but without success. Askar Akayev later joined presidents Islam Karimov and Nursultan Nazarbayev in sending a joint intervention force to support Tajikistan's president Imomali Rahmonov against insurgents, but the Kyrgyzstani parliament delayed the mission of its small contingent for several months until late spring 1993. In mid-1995 Kyrgyzstani forces had the responsibility of sealing a small portion of the Tajikistan border near Panj from Tajikistani rebel forces. |
| Turkey | Jan. 29, 1992 | See Kyrgyzstan–Turkey relations Kyrgyzstan has an embassy in Ankara. Turkey has an embassy in Bishkek. Both countries are members of Asia Cooperation Dialogue, Economic Cooperation Organization, International Organization of Turkic Culture, OIC, TAKM, Turkic Council, TURKPA, OSCE and WTO. Trade volume between the two countries was US$519 million in 2019 (Kyrgyz exports/imports: 77/442 million USD. Turkey became the first state to recognize the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. |
| Turkmenistan | | See Kyrgyzstan–Turkmenistan relations Kyrgyzstan has an embassy in Ashgabat. Turkmenistan has an embassy in Bishkek. |
| Ukraine | | Kyrgyzstan has an embassy in Kyiv. Ukraine has an embassy in Bishkek. |
| United Kingdom | 12 June 1992 | See Kyrgyzstan–United Kingdom relations Kyrgyzstan established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on 12 June 1992. Kyrgyzstan maintains an embassy in London. The UK is accredited to Kyrgyzstan through its embassy in Bishkek. Both countries share common membership of the OSCE, and the World Trade Organization. Bilaterally the two countries have a Development Partnership. |
| United States | | See Kyrgyzstan–United States relations The U.S. government provides humanitarian assistance, non-lethal military assistance, and assistance to support economic and political reforms. It also has supported the Kyrgyz Republic's requests for assistance from international organizations. The United States assisted the Kyrgyz Republic accede to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in December 1998. U.S. assistance aids the Kyrgyz Republic in implementing necessary economic, health sector, and educational reforms, and supports economic development and conflict resolution in the Fergana Valley. (See also American Chamber of Commerce in Kyrgyzstan.) Kyrgyzstan has an embassy in Washington, D.C. United States has an embassy in Bishkek. |
| Uzbekistan | | See Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan relations Uzbekistan informs southern Kyrgyzstan both economically and politically, based on the large Uzbek population in that region of Kyrgyzstan and on economic and geographic conditions. Much of Kyrgyzstan depends on Uzbekistan for natural gas; on several occasions, Karimov has achieved political ends by shutting pipelines or by adjusting terms of delivery. In a number of television appearances broadcast in the Osh and Jalal-Abad provinces of Kyrgyzstan, Karimov has addressed Akayev with considerable condescension; Akayev, in turn, has been highly deferential to his neighbor. Although Uzbekistan has not shown overt expansionist tendencies, the Kyrgyz government is acutely aware of the implications of Karimov's assertions that he is responsible for the well-being of all Uzbeks, regardless of their nation of residence. |

## Illegal drug trade

Kyrgyzstan is a limited illicit cultivator of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for CIS consumption. There is a limited government eradication program. Kyrgyzstan is used increasingly as a transshipment point for illicit drugs to Russia and Western Europe from Southwest Asia. In 2020, with the assistance of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Program Office in Kyrgyzstan, the Analytical Center of the Counter Narcotic Service of the Ministry of Interior of the Kyrgyz Republic was established to combat drug trafficking.