Bilateral relations Switzerland

Bilateral relations Switzerland–Kyrgyzstan

Joint Chamber of Commerce Switzerland-CIS/Georgia

The Joint Chamber of Commerce Switzerland-CIS/Georgia (JCC) is the leading chamber of commerce in Switzerland that promotes bilateral business between Switzerland and the Commonwealth of Independent States (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tadjikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan) and Georgia. JCC supports Swiss companies entering the CIS/Georgia market, and companies from the region interested to establish themselves in Switzerland. The chamber does so through information dissemination, business events and business support. JCC serves all of Switzerland. It is headquartered in Zurich with representatives in Western Switzerland and Canton Ticino. The members are companies in a cross-section of industries and service sectors.

Switzerland and Kyrgyzstan enjoy very good relations, based on bonds of friendship forged since independence. Joint membership in the voting group of certain multilateral institutions, including the Bretton Woods institutions, contributes to this closeness. Technical cooperation, including in the field of water resource management, is another pillar of the bilateral relationship.

Key aspects of diplomatic relations

Switzerland enjoys an excellent reputation in this Central Asian republic. A major donor in terms of development cooperation, Switzerland is also an important trading partner for Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyzstan is a member of Switzerland’s voting groups in the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Global Environment Facility.

Switzerland is also closely involved in water diplomacy in Central Asia. The ‘Blue Peace Central Asia’ initiative promotes regional cooperation between the five countries of Central Asia and encourages the development, at both technical and political levels, of cross-border projects linked to water management.

International Monetary Fund

World Bank

Global Environment Facility

Treaty Database

Blue Peace: Water as an element of security

Economic cooperation

Switzerland is one of the main buyers of Kyrgyz gold and is therefore an important trading partner for Kyrgyzstan, although trade in other areas remains modest.

Trade promotion, Switzerland Global Enterprise

SECO Economic Cooperation and Development

Joint Chamber of Commerce Switzerland

Cooperation in the area of education

Researchers from Kyrgyzstan can apply for Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships to the State Secretariat for Education Research and Innovation (SERI).

SERI: Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships for Foreign Scholars and Artists

Development cooperation and humanitarian aid

Kyrgyzstan is one of the priority countries for Swiss development cooperation. The SDC and SECO focus their activities on 1) water, infrastructure and climate change, 2) governance, human rights and services, and 3) inclusive and sustainable economic development.

For the period 2022-25, the SDC and SECO are devoting an annual budget of around CHF 20 million to Kyrgyzstan.

Development cooperation and humanitarian aid (Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan)

Swiss in Kyrgyzstan

According to statistics on the Swiss abroad, there are 53 Swiss citizens living in Kyrgyzstan in 2024.

History of bilateral relations

Switzerland recognised Kyrgyzstan’s independence on 23 December 1991, and diplomatic relations were formally established on 14 February 1992. The Swiss embassy in Moscow initially handled diplomatic relations. From 1993 to 2012, the Swiss embassy in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent was responsible for Kyrgyzstan.

A Swiss cooperation office was opened in Bishkek in 1993, which was upgraded to an embassy in November 2012. Kyrgyzstan has a mission to the international organisations in Geneva whose ambassador has been accredited to Bern since 1996.

Kyrgyzstan, Historical Dictionary of Switzerland (de, fr, it)