International Cooperation of Kyrgyzstan with the Persian Gulf States in the Context of Natural Resource Development: Prospects, Challenges, and Implications for National Interests Online First

Abstract

The relevance of the study was determined by the need to analyze the emerging model of Kyrgyzstan’s foreign economic cooperation with the Persian Gulf states amid the deepening global energy transition and growing competition for the natural resources of Central Asia. The aim of the research was to identify the mechanisms through which Kyrgyzstan’s interaction with Arab states influences the realization of national interests, the development of a “green” economy, and the reduction of structural dependence on external capital. The methodological framework included an interdisciplinary approach combining political-economic, institutional, and comparative analysis, as well as statistical interpretation of foreign trade data for 2020-2025. The study established that the Persian Gulf states are becoming key actors in Kyrgyzstan’s economic diversification by offering models of sustainable development that are accompanied by financial and technological risks. It was identified that cooperation in hydropower, agriculture, and infrastructure projects is shaping a new geo-economic configuration in which Kyrgyzstan serves as a bridge between Arab capital and Chinese industrial chains. It was demonstrated that the growing role of the Islamic Development Bank and national funds is accompanied by increasing dependence on external financing and requires the strengthening of mechanisms for transparency, environmental assessment, and long-term planning. It was emphasized that, in geopolitical terms, Kyrgyzstan faces the need to balance the interests of China, Russia, Turkey, and the Gulf states, which makes the development of a strategy of “economic multivectorism” particularly relevant. It was concluded that the formation of a sustainable model of cooperation is possible if environmental standards are institutionalized, state decision-making becomes more transparent, and regional communication links are reinforced.

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