The visit marks an important milestone in their bilateral relationship, providing momentum for Vietnam and Kyrgyzstan to further deepen their traditional friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation in areas where both countries have potential and strengths.
Located in Central Asia, a strategic region connecting Asia and Europe, Kyrgyzstan maintains strong relations with Russia and China while prioritising cooperation with the US, the European Union (EU), the UK, Turkey, and other partners. The country also shows interest in engaging with East Asia and Southeast Asia. Kyrgyzstan is rich in natural resources and minerals, including coal, gold, uranium, and other rare metals. Additionally, it has significant potential for hydropower development due to its abundant water resources and mountainous terrain.
The Kyrgyz Prime Minister’s official visit to Vietnam takes place in the context of the continued positive development of the traditional friendship between the two countries. Over the more than 30 years since the official establishment of diplomatic relations, Vietnam and Kyrgyzstan have witnessed many significant advancements in their relationship. Built on a foundation of traditional friendship inherited from the Soviet era, the two countries have closely coordinated and supported each other in international organisations and multilateral forums, including the United Nations. Kyrgyzstan was one of the first Central Asian countries to support Vietnam’s accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and its election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2008-2009 and 2020-2021 terms. Most recently, Kyrgyzstan backed Vietnam's candidacy for the UN Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 tenure and the Postal Operations Council of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) for the 2022-2025 term.
Meanwhile, Vietnam supported Kyrgyzstan’s candidacy for the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for the 2013-2015 term. The strong political relationship between the two countries has been marked by high-level exchanges and bilateral meetings on the sidelines of international events, notably the visit by the National Assembly Vice Chairman Nguyen Khac Dinh to Kyrgyzstan in September 2023.
Economic and trade cooperation between Vietnam and Kyrgyzstan has seen significant progress in recent years. Between 2017 and 2021, bilateral trade exchanges averaged only 1.36 million USD per year. However bilateral trade turnover reached 13.5 million USD in 2024. Vietnam primarily exports pepper, tea, cashew nuts, computers, electronic products, and components to Kyrgyzstan, while importing machinery, equipment, spare parts, tobacco products, silk, and alcoholic beverages.
As of October 31, 2024, Kyrgyzstan gave investment in one project in Khanh Hoa Province in the field of industrial alcohol production, alcoholic beverages, and other drinks, with a total registered capital of 5 million USD. This placed Kyrgyzstan 83rd out of 148 countries and territories investing in Vietnam. The signing of the Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) has opened new opportunities for economic and trade cooperation between Vietnam and EAEU member states, including Kyrgyzstan.
Kyrgyzstan is one of the few countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the world that unilaterally grants visa exemptions to Vietnamese citizens for a period of 60 days. Regarding the Vietnamese community in Kyrgyzstan, there are currently about 100 people, including three families who have settled permanently and acquired Kyrgyz nationality. The rest are short-term residents, self-employed individuals, or garment workers under labor contracts in Vietnamese-owned garment factories.
By welcoming the Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan on an official visit, Vietnam continues to implement its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation, and diversification, while actively and comprehensively engaging in international integration. The visit reaffirms Vietnam's consistent policy of valuing and seeking to strengthen relations with traditional friends, including Kyrgyzstan. It also demonstrates both countries’ determination to deepen and enhance bilateral relations effectively, fostering cooperation in political-diplomatic and economic-trade-investment fields, while expanding collaboration in potential sectors such as transportation, agriculture, culture, education, tourism, local partnerships, and people-to-people exchanges. The two sides aim to elevate their bilateral ties at an appropriate time in accordance with new developments.
