BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 23. The third round of trilateral negotiations on a draft intergovernmental agreement between Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan on the joint implementation of the Kambarata-1 hydropower project was held in Almaty on September 21–23, 2026.
This was announced in a statement by the Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan.
According to the Ministry, the representatives of the relevant state bodies of the three countries took part in the negotiations, including the ministries of energy, water resources and foreign affairs, as well as other relevant agencies and organizations.
"Representatives of the World Bank, which is providing technical support to the parties in preparing the draft intergovernmental agreement, attended the negotiations as observers. During the third round, the parties held detailed discussions on key provisions of the draft agreement, including mechanisms for the joint implementation and management of the project, financing and allocation of responsibilities, as well as further coordination among the three countries," the Ministry noted.
Following the talks, the parties noted progress in resolving certain outstanding provisions of the draft agreement and agreed to continue work on the remaining issues based on mutual respect, consideration of each party’s interests and the pursuit of mutually acceptable solutions.
"For Kazakhstan, participation in the Kambarata-1 project is aimed at strengthening regional cooperation in water resources and energy, improving the resilience of Central Asia’s energy systems, and developing mechanisms for the efficient and mutually beneficial use of transboundary water resources", the ministry said.
The first round of negotiations on the draft intergovernmental agreement was held in Bishkek from March 31 to April 2, 2026, while the second round took place in Tashkent from April 28 to 30, 2026. The third round in Almaty was the next stage in the ongoing work by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan to agree on the main terms of the joint implementation of the project.
Kambarata-1 is a hydropower plant with a planned capacity of 1860 MW under construction in Kyrgyzstan on the Naryn River in the Toktogul district of the Jalal-Abad region. In 2024, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan signed an agreement on joint preparations for the construction of the HPP.
