A trilateral protocol has been signed between Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan on regulating the water and energy balance until 2026, reports the press service of Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy.
A key element of the agreement is Kyrgyzstan’s commitment to release water from the Toktogul Reservoir in exchange for electricity supplies from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
“The signed protocols are working documents with concrete figures, deadlines, and prices. They form the basis for the stability of the region’s energy systems and water supply,” noted Kazakhstan’s Minister of Energy Yerlan Akkenzhenov.
Additionally, conditions were agreed for the transit of Russian electricity to Kyrgyzstan through Kazakhstan. Uzbekistan committed to supply Kazakhstan with 900 million kWh of electricity from March to December 2026 to cover shortages in the southern regions.
The deal is aimed at preventing crises during power plant maintenance and drought periods, ensuring sustainable development for Central Asia.
Kyrgyzstan’s total average annual river runoff is estimated at about 50 cubic km. The country’s water resources meet domestic needs and serve as the main water source for large areas of downstream Central Asian states as well as for the Xinjiang region in northwest China.
The total volume of Kyrgyzstan’s water reserves is estimated at 2,458 cubic km, including 650 cubic km (26.4%) stored in glaciers (8,000 sq. km), 1,745 cubic km (71%) in lakes, 13 cubic km (0.5%) in potential underground freshwater and mineral-thermal reserves (10,545.2 thousand cubic m), and 44.5–51.9 cubic km (2%) in average annual river runoff. The total annual volume of renewable water resources is estimated at 46.5 cubic km.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
September 8, 2025