Below is the full interview with the extraordinary Kyrgyz Republic ambassador to Iran’s Islamic Republic. He is Turdakun Siddikov along with a new agency on the latest developments between Tehran and Bishkek.
1. Ambassador, my first question is to ask about Iran’s position in Kyrgyzstan’s foreign policy – what does Bishkek think about Tehran?
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Kyrgyz Republic and the Republic of Iran on May 10, 1992, our national cooperation has developed based on mutual trust and respect. There is no conflict between our nation. Iran was one of the first countries in the world to officially support and recognize the independence and sovereignty of the Kyrgyz Republic. Kyrgyzstan and Iran have been able to build friendly and trustworthy relationships and establish mutually beneficial cooperation in a variety of fields, political, economic, cultural and humanitarian.
Of course, Kyrgyzstan is interested in further development of friendly relations with Iran and, first of all, the parties’ priority areas as trade, economic and investment cooperation, as well as the implementation of existing possibilities for bilateral cooperation. It’s there. Cooperation within the framework of regional and international organizations.
2. What are the possibilities for the relationship between the two, given the recent meeting with Kyrgyz Prime Minister Away, Iran’s first VP. Do you think so? Which countries will deepen their cooperation and expand?
As I have already mentioned, there is a great possibility of bilateral cooperation between our countries, but unfortunately, it has not been fully realized. Political, trade and economy, development and strengthening of transportation and transport, cultural and humanitarian cooperation are one of the most important challenges for both Kyrgyzstan and Iran. The recent meeting of the heads of our country’s government only confirms this fact. Certainly, this is not the first meeting of Kyrgyzstan and Iranian government heads. In October 2023, within the framework of the meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states, I met with the first Vice President of Iran M. Mokba, chairman of Kyrgyz Minister A. Zhaparov, and the same in 2024. On the month, the Cabinet Chairman of Kyrgyzstan Ministers met with Iran’s first Vice President AREF at the margin during a meeting of the Inter-Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in Erevan (Armenia), they were bilateral trade and economy. Issues of cooperation, regular meetings of the Joint Government Commission, regular meetings of the expansion of transport corridors in the context of Iran’s use were discussed, and increased exports of agricultural products to ports, Iran and other local issues.
3. Could interactions between the two countries within the framework of regional and international organizations such as the Eurasian Economic Union and Shanghai Cooperation Agency promote strengthening economic relations between the two countries?
We place great emphasis on Iran’s economic involvement through interaction with various regional organizations. For example, with the support of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), a free trade agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and the Islamic Republic of Iran was signed in St. Petersburg on December 25, 2023. The Kyrgyz Republic was also one of the first to support the initiative to recognize Iran’s observer status in the EAEU. As is known, the relevant documents were signed in St. Petersburg on December 26th last year.
Therefore, a tax-free trade regime and favorable conditions are ensured for inputting both the Iranian market and vice versa.
EAEU interactions provide opportunities for Iran’s cooperation with the Kyrgyz Republic and EAEU countries, including eliminating technical barriers, applying sanitation and plant testing measures, and customs cooperation.
Regarding cooperation between the Kyrgyz Republic and Iran within the framework of the SCO, we also note that our country was the first to support Iran’s membership in this organization. Iran’s largest membership in SCO in the world, with its member states accounting for more than 34 million square kilometers. In other words, 60% of Eurasian territory, with a population of over 3 billion, will strengthen and expand politics, trade and economic, scientific and cultural cooperation, and cooperation in education, transportation, communication, and more. The importance of national interactions regarding regional security and fighting issues should be noted against terrorism.
4. Relations between the two countries are limited to several economic issues, and both sides seem to know each other very well. What is Kyrgyzstan’s performance in this regard? Do you think Bishkek did enough to make those people used to Iran?
I am confident that the work to raise awareness of the nation, its characteristics, culture, history, civilization, and people should always be carried out. To date, people from our two brothers still do not fully recognize each other. For example, many Iranians, despite their thousands of years of history and culture, do not know about Kyrgyzstan and Kyrgyzstan. They often confuse them with neighboring Central Asia, such as Kazakhstan, for example. Kyrgyzstan confuses Iran with Iraq and associates it with other countries in the Middle East region. Nevertheless, the Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic in Iran attracts tourists to this beautiful country, like Iran, so that they can get used to its rich culture and enjoy Iran’s historic monuments, applied arts and folk art. I’m actively working towards this. This year, we plan to organize an Iranian delegation’s visit to Kyrgyzstan. This includes major travel agencies, journalists and well-known bloggers. Additionally, at the end of February this year, a meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Regional Planning Council will be held with the attendance of a delegation from the Tourism Bureau under the Ministry of Economic and Commerce of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. We will be holding a briefing for media briefings, Iranian tour operators and airline representatives, and famous Iranian bloggers. I am confident that the implementation of the outlined plan will contribute to improving the level of awareness among our people and will increase the flow of tourists between Kyrgyzstan and Iran.
5. What role do you consider in cultural and media cooperation in creating more understanding and familiarity between the two countries?
Without a doubt, culture and art play a major role in our acquaintances between countries. In this context, I would like to mention our full-length and short film participation in various Iranian film festivals, which have already become a tradition. Last year, a delegation of Kyrgyz film distributors visited Iran to establish cooperation on co-production of film series and screening films in cinemas in both countries. In December 2024, a group of puppet theaters in Kyrgyzstan Province visited Iran, visited Iran to participate in the 20th International Puppet Festival, where they presented their performance, “Er Toshtuk.” And in January 2025, now in Tehran, the performance “Bugu ene” was presented by the theatre company of the Kyrgyz state youth theatre “Uchur”.
Of course, you cannot overlook the role of the media. Therefore, there is a need to strengthen interaction and cooperation between the media in both countries and strengthen more frequent meetings between embassies and representatives of various press organisations. The Kyrgyz Embassy in Tehran has good relationships with representatives from Iranian media such as Mehr News, Iran Daily, Tehran Times, Tasnim News and World Trade Newspaper. Since December 2014, the regional office of Iranian news agency Faz has been operating in Kyrgyzstan.
Interview: Marzieh Rahmani, Kamal Iranidoost