Bishkek, 4 June 2026 – The United Nations Development Programme (United Nations Development Programme) continues to support the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic in developing instruments that strengthen export potential and enhance the competitiveness of domestic companies in international markets.

Within the framework of the UNDP “Trade Facilitation” project, in cooperation with the Open Joint Stock Company “State Insurance Organization” (State Insurance Organization), work has been carried out to establish the foundations of an export insurance system – an important mechanism for protecting exporters from commercial and foreign trade risks.

This initiative directly contributes to the implementation of the National Export Development Programme of the Kyrgyz Republic for 2025–2028. In particular, with UNDP support, one of the key results of the Programme’s Action Plan has been achieved – ensuring access for exporters in priority sectors to financial instruments through the development and introduction of an export insurance mechanism (Activity 3.1.4).

As part of the cooperation, a comprehensive tariff policy for export insurance operations has been developed, enabling more effective risk assessment and the design of insurance products tailored to the needs of Kyrgyz businesses.

“Developing export insurance is part of a broader agenda to strengthen the competitiveness of Kyrgyz exporters in international markets. For sustainable foreign economic activity, exporters need access not only to financing, but also to risk management tools that allow them to confidently enter new markets and expand their external operations,” said Alexandra Solovieva, UNDP Resident Representative in the Kyrgyz Republic.

For the practical application of the developed documents, on 4 June 2026 a training session titled “Introduction to Export Insurance” was conducted for 27 employees of the Open Joint Stock Company “State Insurance Organization”, including 16 women. Participants were introduced to international export insurance mechanisms, tariff policy, risk assessment methods, and approaches to calculating insurance premiums for various types of export insurance.

The knowledge gained and the tools developed provide the State Insurance Organization with a practical foundation for the further implementation of export insurance and the expansion of insurance solutions for domestic businesses.

“Export insurance is a new and promising area for the Kyrgyz Republic. In this context, UNDP’s support has been a highly crucial and timely step, coinciding with OJSC 'GSO' joining the Prague Club of the Berne Union (the International Union of Credit and Investment Insurers). Thanks to UNDP's support, we have strengthened our internal expertise, obtained practical tools for risk assessment and insurance tariff calculation, and laid the foundation for the further development of insurance products for exporters,” noted Baktygul Rysbekovich Abdyjaliev, Deputy Chairman of the Board of OJSC “State Insurance Organization.”

An important result of the cooperation was not only the development of a regulatory and methodological framework, but also the practical piloting of the export insurance mechanism. With UNDP support, the first insurance transaction was implemented for an agribusiness enterprise in the amount of over USD 200,000.

For the exporting enterprise, this transaction provided additional protection against the risk of non-payment under an export contract, increased financial stability when working with foreign partners, and contributed to strengthening trust from financial institutions. For the State Insurance Organization, the pilot represented its first practical experience in applying the export insurance mechanism, allowing it to test developed approaches to risk assessment and pricing, and to build the necessary competencies for further scaling of this tool at the national level.

In addition, preparatory work has been carried out on a second potential transaction with an exporter from the light industry sector, indicating growing business interest in new export risk management tools.

Early practical results confirm the demand for export insurance among domestic enterprises and demonstrate the significant potential of this instrument for expanding export opportunities, particularly for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.

UNDP will continue to support the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic in developing a sustainable export ecosystem that enhances the competitiveness of domestic producers, expands access to international markets, integrates the country into global trade chains, and contributes to achieving sustainable economic development goals.

The development of export insurance is an important step toward building a modern export support infrastructure in the Kyrgyz Republic, helping to reduce business risks, stimulate foreign trade, and strengthen the country’s economic resilience.