Kyrgyzstan seeks to join World Bank’s AgriConnect initiative

13:35, 14 апреля 2026, Bishkek - 24.kg news agency , Darya NESTEROVA

Kyrgyzstan has recorded significant growth in its food processing industry, with production increasing by 30.1 percent in 2025. Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, Adylbek Kasymaliev, stated during a meeting with Vice President of the World Bank for Europe and Central Asia Antonella Bassani.

According to the Cabinet of Ministers’s press service, the talks took place in Washington on the sidelines of the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

During the meeting, Adylbek Kasymaliev presented information on the country’s economic development. He noted that over the past four years, the average annual GDP growth has been 10.2 percent, and in 2025 it reached 11.1 percent.

The head of the Cabinet emphasized that this dynamic is driven not only by growth in industry, construction, and services, but also by large-scale infrastructure initiatives. In particular, key impetus has been provided by the launch of cross-border megaprojects such as the construction of Kambarata-1 HPP and China—Kyrgyzstan—Uzbekistan railway. He expressed gratitude to the World Bank for its significant progress and support in advancing Kambarata-1 project.

The parties also focused on social transformations. The head of the Cabinet highlighted the results of labor law reforms, noting that with the adoption of a new Labor Code in 2025, economic opportunities for women in Kyrgyzstan have expanded.

Adylbek Kasymaliev also pointed to strong growth in the food processing sector, where output increased by 30.1 percent in 2025.

To further transform small farms and help them enter global markets, he expressed Kyrgyzstan’s official interest in joining the World Bank’s AgriConnect initiative. The project aims to strengthen food security and integrate the country’s agricultural sector into global supply chains.

Antonella Bassani praised the ongoing structural reforms and confirmed the World Bank’s readiness to continue providing expert and financial support for strategic initiatives of the Kyrgyz Republic.

At the end of the meeting, a REMIT project agreement was signed, along with a framework agreement on the financing plan for the 2026–2028 fiscal years between the Kyrgyz Republic and the International Development Association.