Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have held technical negotiations on the implementation of the Kambarata-1 hydropower plant project, with the support of the World Bank, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy said, Qazinform News Agency reports. The talks took place in Istanbul, Türkiye, bringing together representatives of all three nations to discuss the next steps in advancing the regional energy project.
Kazakhstan was represented by Deputy Minister of Energy Yerzhan Yertayev and Deputy Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Arsen Zhakanbayev. During the negotiations, the delegations discussed the implementation of the 1,860-megawatt Kambarata-1 hydropower plant, which is planned to be constructed on the Naryn River in Kyrgyzstan.
The project is being jointly implemented by the governments of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan and is considered strategically important for strengthening regional cooperation in the water and energy sectors. The participants reviewed key technical aspects of the project, exchanged views on priority areas for further joint efforts and explored prospects for expanding cooperation in water and energy management.
According to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy, the construction of Kambarata-1 is expected to contribute to strengthening Central Asia’s energy potential and enhancing regional cooperation in electricity generation and the sustainable use of water resources. The ministry also noted that the Istanbul meeting marked another important milestone in cooperation among the three countries to advance the joint initiative and support the sustainable development of the region’s water and energy sector.
Earlier, Qazinform reported the central banks of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan had agreed to work out a mechanism for integrating their national QR payment systems by the end of 2026.