Kyrgyzstan
Profile
Kyrgyzstan shares some ethnic connections with Afghanistan. Economic ties between the two countries have also been limited. As a result, Kyrgyzstan has stayed on the periphery of discussions on Afghanistan. Like Kazakhs, Kyrgyz relations with Afghanistan have been dominated primarily by concerns regarding security threats that emanate from Afghanistan. Following the American invasion, Kyrgyzstan hosted a significant U.S. air base and transit center at Manas International Airport outside Bishkek from December 2001 to June 2014. As the premier air mobility hub for operations in Afghanistan, the base was considered a major and vital mission, serving as the entry and exit point for virtually all coalition forces in Afghanistan. Keeping the base operational was challenging for the American government, with threats of closure and pressure for lease payment increases. Maintaining the base required active diplomatic and policy engagement with Kyrgyzstan's leadership. Bishkek has been calibrating its relations with the new power in Kabul. Although there are likely to be some citizens of Kyrgyzstan in militant groups in Afghanistan, they are far fewer in number than the citizens of Uzbekistan or Tajikistan. Although no jihadi militant group in Afghanistan has publicly stated its goal to overthrow the Kyrgyz government, the IMU and its Kyrgyz nationals base are still a threat.
Key Interests & Priorities
1. International Terrorism
Religious extremism and radicalization remain major challenges for Kyrgyzstan. A poor and weak country, Kyrgyzstan relies on Russia for its security which has become under increased threat since the Taliban takeover. Kyrgyz nationals have been part of various jihadi militant groups that fought the U.S. and Afghan troops in Afghanistan alongside al Qaeda, ISKP, IMU, and the Taliban. Although no direct threats have been made to overthrow the Bishkek government, there are fears the militants might want to infiltrate their home countries and fight to create an Islamic caliphate in Central Asia. The ISKP and IMU are direct threats to regional security and stability. As such, Kyrgyzstan does not want the Afghanistan instability to spill over. In September 2021, shortly after the Taliban takeover, the Russia-led CSTO held three days of military exercises in Kyrgyzstan in response to the situation in Afghanistan. The exercises focused on blocking and neutralizing illegal armed groups that would unlawfully enter a CSTO member state's territory. Central Asians have repeatedly asked the Taliban to contain spillover and want the group to suppress potential acts of terrorism against them.
2. Economic Opportunities
Bishkek wants to safeguard economic connectivity, trade, and transit through a stable region. Despite internal instability, Kyrgyzstan maintains a strategically important position in China's Belt and Road Initiative to open and secure regional trade routes. The country separates China and the rest of Central Asia and further afield to West Asia and Europe. That’s why stability in Afghanistan is critical to deepening regional economic opportunities and engagement, such as in the major World Bank-financed infrastructure project, Central Asia-South Asia Electricity Transmission Project (CASA-1000), that is planned to transport surplus hydropower from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to electricity-deficient Afghanistan and Pakistan.
3. Inclusive Government
Like other countries, Kyrgyzstan refuses to recognize the new government in Kabul. Instead, Bishkek wants to move in concert with the international community and emphasize the need for the Taliban's fulfillment of its promises and the formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan. Although the country's security is ensured by its membership in CSTO and by Russia, Bishkek fears the rise in terrorist threats following the rapid withdrawal of foreign troops, the ascendancy of the Taliban, and lack of representation and inclusivity in the government.