President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov signed a decree appointing Minister of Economy and Commerce Bakyt Sydykov as his Special Representative for Special Assignments (on sanctions policy and minimizing sanctions risks).
The purpose of the document is to ensure coordination of government agencies’ activities on preventing and minimizing sanctions risks, protecting the national economic interests of the Kyrgyz Republic, and developing a coordinated position in interactions with foreign states, international organizations, foreign regulators, financial institutions, and other partners.
The Special Representative of the President has been granted the status of Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers until December 31, 2026, with the powers defined by the decree.
The main responsibilities of the Special Representative of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic on Sanctions Policy and Sanctions Risk Mitigation will be:
- coordinating the activities of government agencies on the prevention, assessment, and mitigation of sanctions risks;
- organizing interaction with foreign states, international organizations, foreign regulators, diplomatic missions, financial institutions, and other partners on sanctions restrictions;
- presenting a coordinated position of the Kyrgyz Republic on sanctions policy, compliance with international restrictive measures, preventing their circumvention, mitigating the risk of secondary sanctions, and protecting the national economic interests of the Kyrgyz Republic;
- ensuring the development of a coordinated position of government agencies of the Kyrgyz Republic on compliance with international restrictive measures, the sustainability of cross-border payments, and the supply of goods, technologies, equipment, and services;
- preparing and submitting proposals to the President and the Cabinet of Ministers to improve government policy in the areas of sanctions compliance, foreign economic activity, financial monitoring, trade policy, investment cooperation, and the protection of national economic interests;
- conducting an analysis of the impact of sanctions regimes and international restrictive measures on the republic’s economy, including the financial sector, trade, logistics, industry, investment, export-import operations, and cross-border payments;
- making proposals for the creation and improvement of a system for monitoring, early warning, and rapid response to sanctions challenges.
According to the decree, Bakyt Sydykov has the right to:
- Represent, in accordance with the established procedure, the position of the Kyrgyz Republic in negotiations, consultations, and official dialogue on sanctions policy issues and the minimization of sanctions risks.
- Request and receive from government agencies information, materials, opinions, analytical data, and other information necessary for the fulfillment of assigned tasks.
- Give instructions to government agencies and send requests that are mandatory for consideration and execution.
- Convene and hold interdepartmental meetings, consultations, and working sessions on sanctions policy and the minimization of sanctions risks, compliance with international restrictive measures, and the prevention of their circumvention.
- Submit proposals to the President, the Cabinet of Ministers, and government agencies on sanctions policy and the minimization of sanctions risks, compliance with international restrictive measures, and the prevention of their circumvention.
- Engage representatives of government agencies, the expert community, business associations, financial organizations, development institutions, and international partners in the preparation of analytical materials, opinions, proposals, and recommendations.
- Initiate the creation of interdepartmental working groups, expert groups, and other working mechanisms on issues within its competence.
- Submit recommendations and proposals to government agencies on the prevention and minimization of sanctions risks, compliance with international restrictive measures, and the prevention of their circumvention.
- Submit proposals to the President, the Cabinet Chairman, and the Cabinet of Ministers on taking action against officials who have unjustifiably delayed, failed to implement, or improperly implemented the instructions and requests of the Special Representative.
In April, the European Union for the first time applied a mechanism to counter sanctions circumvention against a third country, banning the supply of certain machine tools, including computer numerical control (CNC) machines, and communications equipment to Kyrgyzstan.
Previously, the Kyrgyz Republic has repeatedly stated that sanctions against banks are unjustified. President Sadyr Japarov, speaking at the UN in 2025, criticized the West for restrictions against the republic. He described the unjustified sanctions as interference in the country’s internal affairs and pressure that hinders the development of a still-emerging economy.
