The energy cooperation in Central Asia has reached an important milestone. According to reports, the energy ministers of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan recently held a meeting in Brussels and unanimously agreed to accelerate the construction of the 1860 MW Kambalata 1 hydropower project. This project is regarded as a key regional initiative to ensure energy security and optimize water resource utilization in Central Asia.

The conference was organized with the assistance of the World Bank and attended by senior officials from the energy, finance, and water resources departments of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine. All parties have reviewed the preliminary results of the project's technical and economic demonstration and environmental impact assessment, and agreed to conduct stakeholder consultations at the local and cross-border levels from October to November 2025. The meeting focused on key issues such as the joint implementation mechanism of the project, financing plans, and attracting support from international financial institutions.

The energy ministers of the three countries reiterated their firm political commitment to the project, unanimously believing that the hydropower station will become an important catalyst for strengthening security and cooperation in Central Asia. The meeting ultimately reached a consensus on the follow-up joint action plan and project preparation schedule.

At the request of the governments of the three countries, the World Bank is providing technical support for the project, including updating feasibility studies, developing environmental and social impact assessment documents that comply with international standards, and designing sustainable financial models. During the conference, the Kyrgyzstan delegation also held bilateral talks with representatives from multiple international financial institutions, including the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, European Investment Bank, and Islamic Development Bank, actively promoting project financing cooperation. Keywords: overseas engineering, international engineering construction, foreign engineering construction news

The accelerated progress of the Kambalata 1 hydropower project marks substantial progress in regional energy cooperation among Central Asian countries. After the completion of this project, it will significantly optimize the allocation of water resources in Central Asia, enhance the energy security capabilities of various countries, and inject new impetus into building a closer regional energy cooperation network. With the continuous deepening of multi-party cooperation, this project is expected to become a demonstration project for energy infrastructure interconnection in Central Asia. Editor/Xu Shengpeng