Russian and Kyrgyz presidents to hold talks in Moscow

Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov will today pay his first official foreign visit to Moscow for a meeting with his Russian counterpart President Vladimir Putin.

The visit’s main objective is to expand on already-strong Kyrgyz-Russia relations. Since Kyrgyzstan’s nationwide upheaval caused by voter fraud allegations in the October parliamentary elections, Moscow has increased its awareness of Bishkek’s internal affairs. Upon assuming office, Russophile Japarov openly opposed altering the official status of the Russian language in Kyrgyzstan and expressed continued support for Russian military bases in the country, solidifying Moscow’s support.

Expect Moscow and Bishkek to collaborate on transportation and trade projects in the short-term within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). In an attempt to avert increasing Chinese influence in the area, Moscow will likely reinforce its defence investments in Bishkek by expanding the presence of Russian military forces in two strategic military bases located in Kyrgyzstan. Dependent on federal funds from the Kremlin and the hefty tax payments of Kyrgyz migrant workers in Russia, which supply the treasury with immense revenue, Japarov will likely continue to advance the Kremlin’s political aim of reinforcing Russian influence in the former Soviet republics.