Updated August 3September 1, 2020
Kyrgyz Republic
Overview
Figure 1. Map of the Kyrgyz Republic
The Kyrgyz Republic (commonly known as Kyrgyzstan) is
a mountainous, landlocked country that borders China and
maintains close ties with Russia. Formerly a constituent
republic of the Soviet Union, Kyrgyzstan became
independent in 1991. As a parliamentary republic that holds
contested elections, Kyrgyzstan has long been considered
the most democratic country in Central Asia, with a vibrant
civil society and a higher degree of press freedom than
found elsewhere in the region. Corruption is pervasive,
however, and political institutions remain weak. In recent
years, international observers have voiced concerns about
democratic backsliding in Kyrgyzstan. Some Members of
Congress have also expressed concerns about government
pressure on independent media outlets, including the
congressionally-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
Because Kyrgyzstan is an impoverished country that relies
heavily on foreign remittances, the ongoing Coronavirus
Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is causing significant
economic strain.
Political Background
Government: Kyrgyzstan has twice experienced
revolutions that ousted authoritarian-leaning presidents,
first in 2005 and again in 2010. A new constitution adopted
in 2010 converted the country to a semi-parliamentary
system and imposed a one-term limit on presidents, who are
elected directly via universal suffrage and serve for six
years. The prime minister, nominated by the parliamentary
majority and appointed by the president, shares executive
power. Kyrgyzstan’s unicameral parliament, the Jogorku
Kenesh (“Supreme Council”), has 120 members; deputies
are elected to five-year terms in a closed-list proportional
electoral system.
Political landscape: In recent years, the ruling Social
Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan (SDPK) has moved to
consolidate its position, using state resources to pressure
political opponents and civil society. Although Kyrgyzstan
enjoys a greater degree of political pluralism than its
Central Asian neighbors, in the assessment of the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe,
“political parties are characterized by the personalities
leading them, rather than by their platforms, which overlap
significantly.” Governing coalitions are frequently unstable,
and the prime minister has been replaced 12 times since the
2010 revolution. Kyrgyzstan’s political landscape is
shifting due in part to an ongoing feud between President
Sooronbai Jeenbekov (in office since 2017) and his
predecessor and former patron, Almazbek Atambayev (in
office 2011-2017), which has led to a split in the SDPK. In
June 2020 Atambayev was sentenced to 11 years and 2
months in prison on corruption-related charges. He also
faces murder charges stemming from an August 2019 law
enforcement raid on his compound that left one member of
the security services dead.
Source: Graphic created by CRS
2020 Parliamentary Elections: The next parliamentary
elections are scheduled for October 4, 2020, but they may
be deferred because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The two
major . The two major
parliamentary factions have fractured internally and
there there
are no clear front-runners in the 2020 elections; it is
possible that new groupings will enter the Jogorku Kenesh.
Human Rights: According to the U.S. State Department,
major human rights concerns in Kyrgyzstan include torture
and arbitrary detention, inadequate judicial independence,
severe restrictions on freedom of expression and freedom of
the press, and corruption. In 2015, the State Department
recognized imprisoned activist Azimjon Askarov with its
Human Rights Defender Award, leading to significant
friction in the U.S.-Kyrgyz bilateral relationship. Askarov
died in prison on July 24, 2020, possibly of COVID-19.
In June 2020, Kyrgyzstan’s parliament passed a law that
would enable authorities to censor websites containing
information they determined to be untruthful and require
internet service providers to turn user data over to
government agencies on request. After the bill sparked
protests and drew criticism from international observers, the
president returned it to the legislature for revision. Draft
bills that would impose financial reporting requirements on
nongovernmental organizations and restrict workers’ right
to organize have also drawn international criticism.
Terrorism: Although terrorist attacks within Kyrgyzstan
are rare, about 800 Kyrgyz nationals travelled to Syria and
Iraq to join the Islamic State or other terrorist groups; more
than 200 are estimated to have died over the course of the
Syrian conflict. Government plans to repatriate Kyrgyz
citizens, primarily women and children, were disrupted by
unrest in Iraq and Turkey’s October 2019 military incursion
into northern Syria. Some 300 Kyrgyz nationals have
returned to the country, and about 50 have been imprisoned.
Foreign fighters from Central Asia remain an international
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Kyrgyz Republic
concern due to their ongoing participation in armed groups
active in Syria and Afghanistan.
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Kyrgyz Republic
The Kyrgyz Republic at a Glance
Land area: 199,951 sq. km. (slightly smaller than South
Dakota)
Population: 6.5 million (2020 est.)
Ethnicities: 73.6% Kyrgyz, 14.8% Uzbek, 1.6% Ukrainian, 5.3%
Russian, 6.3% other (2020)
Languages: Kyrgyz (official), Russian (official)
GDP/GDP per capita (2019): $8.5 billion/$1,323
Data from the World Bank and the National Statistical Committee of the
Kyrgyz Republic.
Economy
Trade: Kyrgyzstan’s 1998 accession to the WTO helped
establish the country as a hub for the re-export of Chinese
goods. Gold is Kyrgyzstan’s main export commodity and is
primarily produced by the Canadian-owned Kumtor gold
mine, which accounted for about one-tenth of GDP in 2019.
The large informal economy is estimated at up to 24% of
GDP. Kyrgyzstan has been a member of the Russia-led
Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) since 2015, but
accession has proven controversial domestically because
EAEU membership introduced new regulatory hurdles
while failing to confer some of the expected benefits.
Chinese investments: China has supported several largescale infrastructure projects in Kyrgyzstan, financed
primarily through concessional loans, as part of Beijing’s
Belt and Road Initiative. China’s Export-Import Bank owns
almost 50% of Kyrgyzstan’s roughly $4 billion of foreign
debt, according to official figures. The expanding Chinese
economic presence in Kyrgyzstan has sparked controversy
and protests, which have sometimes turned violent.
Economic dependence on Russia: Kyrgyzstan is one of
the most remittance-dependent economies in the world,
with remittances, predominantly from Russia, accounting
for roughly 30% of GDP in 2019. As of 2019, there were an
estimated 640,000 to 800,000 Kyrgyz citizens in Russia,
accounting for over 20% of Kyrgyzstan’s working-age
population and rendering the Kyrgyz economy vulnerable
to external shocks from downturns in the Russian economy.
COVID-19: The ongoing pandemic has had a significant
negative impact on Kyrgyzstan’s economy and is straining
the country’s under-resourced healthcare system. The
National Bank projects a 4% decline in GDP in 2020
(previous forecasts had predicted 3.4% growth in 2020;
GDP growth has averaged 4% since 2014). The World
Bank estimates that remittances to Kyrgyzstan will fall
significantly in 2020 as a consequence of the pandemic.
Additionally, large numbers of people either returning from
abroad or unable to migrate for work will likely aggravate
unemployment and place additional stress on the country’s
social services. Kyrgyzstan has received emergency
financial assistance from international financial institutions,
and the Kyrgyz government has requested debt relief from
China. The United States Agency for International
Development has donated personal protective equipment
and has allocated about $1 million to support Kyrgyzstan’s
COVID response.
Foreign Policy and U.S. Relations
Foreign policy: Bishkek maintains close political ties with
Moscow and is generally seen as the most Russia-friendly
government in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan hosts four Russian
military installations, including Kant Air Base. In recent
years, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have made strides
towards resolving decades-old border disputes, although
clashes periodically break out. Tensions on the partially
undemarcated Kyrgyz-Tajik border also periodically erupt
into violence. Kyrgyzstan is a member of numerous
multilateral organizations, including the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization and the Collective Security
Treaty Organization.
U.S. Relations: The United States was among the first
countries to recognize Kyrgyz independence following the
collapse of the Soviet Union. From 2001 to 2014, the
United States operated a Transit Center at Manas, just
outside the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek, in support of U.S.
military operations in Afghanistan. U.S. relations with
Kyrgyzstan deteriorated under President Atambayev, at
least in part due to Russian pressure. U.S.-Kyrgyzstan
relations have improved somewhat under current President
Jeenbekov. Although security cooperation has waned since
2014, the State Department is seeking to develop bilateral
cooperation in combatting terrorism and extremism and
promoting regional stability. Other U.S. priorities in
Kyrgyzstan include supporting a more inclusive and
accountable democracy and improving the country’s
business environment.
U.S. Foreign Assistance: In 2015 the Kyrgyz government
terminated the bilateral cooperation agreement (BCA) that
facilitated the provision of U.S. humanitarian and technical
economic assistance to Kyrgyzstan. Aid programs have
continued, however, with $37 million appropriated in
FY2019. According to the State Department, the United
States has provided $1.2 billion in assistance to Kyrgyzstan
over the past 20 years. U.S. officials have been involved in
ongoing efforts to conclude a new BCA.
Travel Restrictions: In January 2020, the Trump
Administration suspended the issuance of most immigrant
visas to Kyrgyz citizens as part of its expansion of the
travel restrictions introduced by Executive Order 13780 of
March 6, 2017, citing Kyrgyzstan’s failure to comply with
information-sharing criteria and deficiencies in the security
of Kyrgyz passports. Kyrgyzstan’s introduction of
biometric passports was delayed in 2019 as the result of a
corruption investigation, and Kyrgyz passports are
notoriously easy to forge or obtain through illegal means.
Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized the
travel restrictions, stating that they caused “significant
damage” to U.S.-Kyrgyz relations and noting that more
than 80 countries have yet to introduce biometric passports.
Both U.S. and Kyrgyz authorities have expressed
willingness to cooperate on addressing the passport
deficiencies.
Maria A. Blackwood, Analyst in Asian Policy
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Kyrgyz Republic
IF10304
Maria A. Blackwood, Analyst in Asian Policy
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