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.
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.
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
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
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)
According to statistics on the Swiss abroad, there are 53 Swiss citizens living in Kyrgyzstan in 2024.
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)
Last update 28.06.2024
+41 800 24-7-365 / +41 58 465 33 33
365 days a year – around the clock
The Helpline FDFA deals as central contact point with matters relating to consular services.
Fax +41 58 462 78 66
Phone free of charge from abroad with Skype
You will receive an error message if the Skype application is not installed on your computer or smartphone. If such a message appears, please proceed to install it right off, simply by clicking on the following link:
Download Skype
Skype: helpline-eda
