Kyrgyzstan
Historically, India has had close contacts with Central Asia, especially countries which were part of the Ancient Silk Route, including the Kyrgyz Republic. During the Soviet era, India and the then Kyrgyz Republic had limited political, economic and cultural contacts. Following the independence of Kyrgyz Republic on 31st August, 1991, India was among the first countries to establish diplomatic relations on 18th March 1992. The resident Mission of India was set up on 23rd May 1994. The year 2022 is being marked as the 30th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and the Kyrgyz Republic.
Cooperation to tackle the challenge of COVID-19 Pandemic
- India has, as assistance to the Kyrgyz Republic, to combat pandemic, donated thirty thousand tables of Hydroxy Chloroquine (HCQ). Kyrgyz government assisted in evacuation of nearly fourteen thousand Indian nationals (most of them medical students) to various destinations in India under the Vande Bharat Mission.
Development Cooperation (Grants/ LoCs/ Assistance)
- During the second Meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue held on 28 October 2020, India announced a Government of India LoC offer/ availability of USD 1 billion for priority Developmental Projects in the five Central Asian countries including the Kyrgyz Republic in fields such as connectivity, energy, IT, healthcare, education, agriculture etc. In addition, India has also made an offer of LoC of US$ 200 million for financing Development Projects in Kyrgyz Republic, which was announced in June 2019 during the visit of Prime Minister Modi to the Kyrgyz Republic.
- India has extended technical assistance to the Kyrgyz Republic for the establishment of an IT center at the Kyrgyz State University of Construction, Transportation and Architecture, Bishkek; Potato processing plant at Talas; Language laboratory at the Diplomatic Academy, Bishkek; Tele-medicine links connecting six hospitals in Kyrgyzstan, and Bhabhatron-II equipment and Imaging simulator for treating cancer patients. India gifted IT equipment (PCs, Tablets and Notebooks) worth Rs. 27.40 lakhs to the Central Election Commission of Kyrgyz Republic for use during the Parliamentary elections held on October 4th, 2020.
Capacity Building & Other Exchanges
- India has allocated 100 slots for various courses under the ITEC programme to the Kyrgyz Republic. These programmes provide opportunities for capacity development of Kyrgyz nationals. There 10 are nearly 1,500 ITEC alumni in the Kyrgyz Republic.
- Nine diplomats from the Kyrgyz Republic participated in a customized course for young diplomats from the countries of Central Asia, including the Kyrgyz Republic, from 05-16 December 2022 at the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service (SSIFS). The training programme included modules on India’s foreign policy, India’s relations with Central Asia, multilateral diplomacy & WTO, UN reforms, space diplomacy, India’s perspectives on nuclear nonproliferation & disarmament, negotiation skills, water security, GoI’s economic initiatives and economic reforms, digital empowerment, India’s pandemic response, women in diplomacy, INSTC etc.
