Kazakh FM visits Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan border checkpoint

ASTANA. KAZINFORM - Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kairat Abdrakhmanov has visited today the Automobile Border Crossing Point of Kegen (Kazakhstan) - Karkyra (Kyrgyzstan), the Kazakh MFA press service reported.

The visit was made in the furtherance of the arrangements reached by the Presidents of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan in Astana on December 25, 2017, and to explore the possibility of transferring the checkpoint from seasonal to year-round operation.

The border crossing point is equipped with state-of-the-art technical control facilities that ensure control and security at the border. Over the past three summer months, 27,000 people have crossed the checkpoint.

There are 8 checkpoints on the Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan state border.

The arrangement reached by the heads of state to change the status of two checkpoints (Aukhatty (Kazakhstan) - Ken Bulun (Kyrgyzstan) and Sartobe (Kazakhstan) - Tokmok (Kyrgyzstan)) from bilateral to multilateral was implemented through the respective protocol signed during the 7th session of the Kazakh-Kyrgyz Intergovernmental Council on August 17, 2018. This will reduce the burden on other checkpoints and make it more convenient for foreign tourists to visit Lake Issyk-Kul.

The development of regional tourist routes is one of the priorities of the governments of the two countries. A vivid example of mutually beneficial cooperation is the tourist route to Khan-Tengri Peak, running through the territories of both states.