Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan Deepen Water Cooperation at 36th Joint Commission in Bishkek

Officials from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have convened in Bishkek for the 36th session of their Joint Commission, dedicated to the management of interstate water facilities along the Chu and Talas rivers.

Kazakhstan’s delegation was led by Nurlan Aldamzharov, First Vice Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, while Kyrgyzstan was represented by Almaz Jeenaliev, Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry and Director of the Water Resources Service, The Caspian Post reports via Kazakh media.

The session centered on deepening bilateral cooperation in operating, maintaining, and equitably utilizing shared water infrastructure. Delegates exchanged views on long-term strategies to support sustainable operations of water facilities vital to agriculture, irrigation, and local communities on both sides of the border.

The commission meeting comes at a moment of heightened regional concern over water supply, exacerbated by climate variability. At the recent 90th meeting of the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination of Central Asian nations in August, Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev cautioned of looming water shortages and urged neighboring states to coordinate more closely and uphold existing agreements to avert water crises.

The Bishkek talks are expected to yield actionable plans for closer cooperation, better resource-sharing, and strengthened trust in managing transboundary water challenges in Central Asia.