Bishkek, Aug 6, 2026 /Kabar/. President Sadyr Zhaparov has officially signed the landmark Merchant Shipping Code of the Kyrgyz Republic, establishing a comprehensive legal framework to assert the landlocked nation's rights on the high seas.The new code, which was adopted by the Jogorku Kenesh on June 24, 2026, aims to accelerate the development of domestic maritime trade, protect maritime operators, and boost Kyrgyzstan's economic competitiveness on the international stage.
Key highlights of the Code:
- Global Sea Access: Asserts the statutory rights of Kyrgyzstan—as a landlocked state—to access international waters and exercise freedom of merchant shipping under international law.
- Jurisdiction and Scope: Applies directly to all seagoing vessels navigating international routes under the national flag of the Kyrgyz Republic.
- Issyk-Kul Lake Regulation: Extends relevant provisions to inland navigation vessels operating on Issyk-Kul lake, operating in tandem with existing domestic inland water transport laws.
- State Vessel Immunity: Grants full state jurisdiction and sovereign immunity from foreign detention, arrest, or prosecution to all non-commercial, state-owned Kyrgyz vessels.
The drafting of the Code follows the country's strategic alignment with global maritime standards. Under Law No. 29, enacted on January 30, 2024, the Kyrgyz Republic formally acceded to the 1948 Geneva Convention on the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
The Merchant Shipping Code is slated to officially enter into force exactly six months after the official publication of the enabling law, "On the Enactment of the Code of the Kyrgyz Republic on Merchant Shipping."
