Kyrgyzstan to supply water to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in exchange for electricity

According to Tengrinews, citing Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy, the three countries have reached an agreement on parameters of water–energy cooperation and mutual support.

A meeting of the parties was held in Almaty under the chairmanship of Kazakhstan’s Energy Minister, Yerlan Akkenzhenov.

The sides agreed on the next steps for cooperation in the water–energy sector. Given the difficult situation at Kyrgyzstan’s Toktogul Reservoir, participants decided to coordinate joint efforts by exchanging electricity supplies to ensure a successful heating season and prepare for the next vegetation period.

“Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan confirmed their readiness to supply electricity to Kyrgyzstan during the autumn–winter period. This will allow the Kyrgyz side to reduce electricity generation in winter and accumulate water in the Toktogul Reservoir. The stored volume will be directed to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan during the vegetation period to ensure stable irrigation of farmland in southern regions. In addition, an agreement was reached to implement joint measures to reduce consumption and save energy across the region,” the statement said.

Toktogul Reservoir, an artificial water basin on the Naryn River in Kyrgyzstan’s Jalal-Abad region, is one of Central Asia’s key energy and irrigation facilities. It plays the role of the “heart” of the country’s hydropower sector, providing up to 80 percent of electricity and regulating water flow for irrigation in both Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.

Following the meeting, the three sides signed a trilateral declaration legally formalizing the volumes of winter electricity supplies and water accumulation for the 2026 vegetation period.