Bishkek, Feb. 5, 2026. /Kabar/. Aibek Kurenkeev, President of the E-Commerce Association of Kyrgyzstan, spoke about the development of the digital economy and regional e-commerce cooperation at B5+1 forum.
According to him, Central Asian countries are demonstrating some of the fastest growth rates in digitalization. This is facilitated by shared historical, cultural, and economic ties, as well as the active exchange of experience between the countries of the region.
Today, the E-Commerce Association of Kyrgyzstan includes approximately 50 companies, leading players in retail, marketplaces, online trading, and logistics. The combined turnover of its members exceeds $2.5 billion, accounting for approximately half of the country's e-commerce market.
Domestic e-commerce turnover reaches approximately $600 million annually, and when including cross-border transactions, it approaches $1 billion. Average annual market growth is approximately 15%, and the share of e-commerce in retail turnover has already reached 10-11% and continues to grow.
Aibek Kurenkeyev noted that these results were made possible by the coordinated efforts of the government, the financial sector, and businesses. These efforts have resulted in so-called "digital dividends," which are now being observed in all Central Asian countries.
Particular attention was paid to the development of payment infrastructure. International and national payment systems are successfully operating in Kyrgyzstan, and interoperability is rapidly developing. Integration with Kazakhstan was recently completed, transfers with Uzbekistan continue to expand, and interest in cooperation with Tajikistan and other countries in the region is growing.
The main current challenges remain logistics and administration of intraregional trade. However, digital product cards and national databases have already been created in all countries, allowing for the rapid scalability of integrations between marketplaces.
According to the Association's head, in the coming months, Kazakhstani goods will appear on Uzbek marketplaces, and Uzbek goods on Kazakhstani ones, which will provide a significant boost to the development of regional e-commerce.
"We are on the threshold of new stage of scaling. To this end, work is underway to harmonize tax and trade administration," he emphasized.
The B5+1 forum continues its second day today.