BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 23. President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov arrived in the U.S. state of Utah on September 18 as part of his working visit to the United States, where he familiarized himself with U.S. experience in tourism development and sustainable mountain management.
Following his visit to Utah, the head of state traveled to New York to participate in events held during the High-Level Week of the General Debate of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, as well as to conduct bilateral meetings with representatives of the U.S. authorities and major businesses.
The initial stage of the visit demonstrated that its agenda extended beyond an exchange of experience, placing particular emphasis on identifying practical areas for further development of Kyrgyz-U.S. relations. In Utah, Sadyr Japarov held meetings with Utah Governor Spencer Cox and Senate President Stuart Adams, during which mining, tourism, sports, information technology, finance, and infrastructure were among the areas discussed.
The selection of Utah as the first destination of the visit carried an economic dimension. The state has considerable experience in the development of mountainous territories, winter sports, and tourism infrastructure, which Kyrgyzstan considers potentially relevant to the implementation of its own projects.
In particular, Sadyr Japarov visited Utah Olympic Park, where he familiarized himself with the use of Olympic infrastructure established for the 2002 Games, as well as preparations in Utah for the 2034 Winter Olympic Games. The Kyrgyz side expressed interest in the experience of engaging children and young people in winter sports, developing athletes, and utilizing sports facilities as a means of supporting tourism development.
"For Kyrgyzstan, this is a very valuable experience. We need not only to develop modern sports infrastructure, but also to create conditions for as many children and young people as possible to engage in winter sports. This is simultaneously about the health of the nation, the development of sports and tourism, and promoting the country," the President said.
This approach is directly linked to Kyrgyzstan's plans to develop mountain tourism. During the visit, Japarov also familiarized himself with the Deer Valley ski resort expansion project, which envisages the creation of a year-round cluster with hotel, residential, sports and tourism infrastructure.
For Kyrgyzstan, such experience is of interest primarily in terms of creating not individual facilities, but comprehensive tourism centers capable of generating economic activity around them. Sadyr Japarov himself linked the US experience to the Ala-Too Resort project in the Issyk-Kul region.
"Kyrgyzstan has big ambitions in tourism. Our task is to create not just individual ski resorts, but world-class resorts around which entire regions will develop, with modern hotels, restaurants, services, new jobs and investment. They should be attractive year-round both for our citizens and for guests from around the world," the President said.
At the same time, the Kyrgyz side sees cooperation with U.S. businesses as extending far beyond the tourism sector. In New York on September 21, Sadyr Japarov held talks with representatives of StoneX Group, Citibank, Wabtec, as well as US government agencies.
The meeting with StoneX Group continued existing business ties in international precious metals trading. The sides discussed precious metals trading, price risk management, international settlements, and modern financial instruments. As a result, memorandums were signed between StoneX Group and the Ministry of Finance of Kyrgyzstan, as well as between StoneX Group and Eldik Bank.
At the same time, Kyrgyzstan began building broader cooperation with Citibank. During the meeting with the bank's management, the sides discussed international settlements, investment cooperation, new correspondent banking relationships and the possible opening of a Citibank branch in Kyrgyzstan. Three memorandums were signed following the meeting - with the Ministry of Finance, Eldik Bank and ABank.
Another area was railway cooperation. Kyrgyzstan signed a contract with US-based Wabtec to purchase 10 TE33AS-series mainline freight locomotives. Their delivery is expected by the end of 2027.
According to Japarov, the new locomotives will allow around 30% of the Kyrgyz Temir Zholu (Kyrgyz Railways) fleet to be modernized. The President also instructed officials to work on the full renewal of the remaining locomotive fleet within the next five years.
This project can be viewed in the broader context of the development of Kyrgyzstan's transport infrastructure. The country links the prospects for railway transportation with the implementation of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, which, according to Kyrgyz plans, is expected to be completed by 2030.
In this case, the renewal of the locomotive fleet becomes part of preparations for a potential increase in freight flows. At the same time, this creates potential opportunities for further participation by U.S. companies in the supply of equipment, technologies and financial solutions.
The economic component of the visit is accompanied by an effort to establish a broader basis for the presence of US businesses in Kyrgyzstan. At a meeting with representatives of the US business community, Japarov said the country was interested in attracting U.S. investment and identified mining, textile production and construction as promising areas.
At the same time, a significant part of the talks focused on the business environment. Sadyr Japarov told US representatives about measures to strengthen the rule of law, and combat corruption, which the Kyrgyz side considers necessary conditions for protecting property and investment.
Thus, the visit demonstrates several potentially interconnected areas for the further development of Kyrgyz-US relations. One of them could be expanded U.S. involvement in infrastructure projects, including the railway sector. Another is the development of financial cooperation through U.S. banks and financial companies. A separate area is related to tourism, mountain infrastructure, and the application of Utah's experience in implementing the Ala-Too Resort and similar projects in other regions of Kyrgyzstan.
The possibility of direct air service between Kyrgyzstan and the U.S., which Sadyr Japarov proposed discussing with the Utah leadership, could, if further developed, also become an additional element in expanding business and tourism contacts.
Further developments could take several directions. The agreements reached could be transformed into specific investment projects and long-term contracts. U.S. financial institutions could expand cooperation with Kyrgyz banks and government agencies, while U.S. companies could become more actively involved in infrastructure and industrial projects. Another area could be the development of cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and Utah in mountain tourism, winter sports, and the sustainable development of mountainous areas.
In any case, the visit created several new channels for interaction, ranging from finance and transport to tourism, sports, and mining. Their further development will depend on the implementation of the signed documents, decisions by US and Kyrgyz companies, and the specific projects that the sides are able to develop following the visit.
