Building Bridges Between Bishkek and London
His Excellency Omar Sultanov, Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to the Court of St James’s, reflects on Kyrgyzstan’s emergence on the international stage, the importance of multilateral diplomacy and an ambitious new chapter in relations between Kyrgyzstan and the United Kingdom.
Growing up in Soviet Kyrgyzstan, Omar Sultanov developed an early fascination with a country he knew largely through literature, music and the pages of a rather understated magazine. While the glossy Soviet-era publication America was full of colourful photographs and advertisements, its British counterpart, England, offered something altogether different.
“It was a sort of noble understatement,” recalls the Ambassador, smiling. “There was great substance there, and the UK always looked a little mysterious to me.” Like many of his generation, he was captivated by British rock music and the characters of British literature, from Sherlock Holmes and Miss Marple to the historical adventures of Sir Walter Scott. He remains an admirer of John le Carré, whom he considers among the finest writers in the English language.
More than four decades later, that youthful fascination has come full circle. Having arrived in London in August 2026 as Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to the UK, His Excellency Omar Sultanov brings with him an extraordinary diplomatic career spanning the birth of his country’s independence, postings across Europe and senior positions within the United Nations system. “I was always fascinated by the UK and English people,” he explains. “I am so pleased to find myself here.”
London has already made an impression; he has been struck by the British public’s patience and courtesy. “People are normally very considerate, polite and kind to each other. This is the best attitude.”
From Soviet Scholar to Independent Diplomat
Born in Osh in 1962, Ambassador Sultanov studied history at Moscow State University, completing a doctorate in American Studies. It was an unusual specialism for a young academic who had never visited America. “When people asked me about my speciality, I always replied that I was an astronomer,” he remembers, “because I was studying a place I had never visited and most probably would never visit.”
Travel to the West was severely restricted under the Soviet system. His first opportunity to visit the United States eventually came through his diplomatic work at the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe, the predecessor of today’s OSCE. Discovering that their Kyrgyz colleague held a doctorate in American history but had never set foot in the country, American diplomats helped arrange a study visit. His ten-day itinerary included Washington, New York, Atlanta, Dallas and San Antonio. “It was a dream come true and lived up to all expectations.”
By then, however, Sultanov had already witnessed one of the most dramatic geopolitical transformations of the twentieth century.
In August 1991, he was heading the foreign relations department within the Kyrgyz presidential administration when hardliners attempted a coup against Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev. The events of 19 August remain the most memorable of his career. With the Soviet Union’s future hanging in the balance, the position of Kyrgyzstan and its emerging institutions was exceptionally vulnerable. The coup’s failure accelerated the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and Sultanov found himself helping to establish the international identity of a newly independent state.
“I even worked as a Soviet diplomat for two weeks in Vienna before the Soviet Union ceased to exist,” he recalls. “I then worked as a Russian diplomat for one year, while holding my Kyrgyz passport. There was huge confusion at that time.”
The diplomatic service of independent Kyrgyzstan was starting almost from scratch. “Our whole foreign ministry consisted of a maximum of ten people,” he explains. “Very few of us were working abroad.”
From those modest beginnings, Sultanov went on to represent Kyrgyzstan at the OSCE in Vienna, serve as Ambassador to Germany and the Holy See, and become Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva. His career also included appointments as Head of the Presidential Administration and First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, alongside extensive experience in international business. Returning to Geneva as Permanent Representative in 2022, he remained there until his appointment to London.
A New Era in UK–Kyrgyz Relations
The Ambassador arrives at what he describes as an unprecedented moment in bilateral relations. “We are experiencing a sort of breakthrough,” he says. “The bilateral relationship between the UK and Kyrgyz Republic is at its highest level ever.”
The launch of the Kyrgyzstan–UK Strategic Dialogue, the Central Asia–UK Ministerial Meeting and an increasingly active programme of ministerial and business exchanges have established fresh momentum.
Within just 40 days of his arrival, he notes, at least six delegations of British officials had travelled to Kyrgyzstan.
For Ambassador Sultanov, the approaching 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations in February 2027 provides a further opportunity to deepen cooperation, potentially including a presidential visit to the UK.
Economic engagement is central to his ambitions. Kyrgyzstan has gained access to a £1.8 billion UK Export Finance credit facility, while the two countries have advanced cooperation in critical minerals through a strategic partnership roadmap to 2030.
London’s financial markets are also becoming increasingly significant. Kyrgyzstan issued its first sovereign Eurobond in London in 2025, raising US$700 million against an initial target of US$500 million. This was followed by a US$500 million international corporate bond issuance by Eldik Bank.
The Ambassador also highlights the Tamchy Special Financial Investment Territory, an ambitious project intended to establish Kyrgyzstan as a regional financial and investment centre, operating under principles of English common law. “This national project is our response to the needs of international businesses,” he explains. “We are building a financial centre from scratch — with an independent court, a modern regulator, and rules that won't change with shifting trends.”
For British businesses seeking opportunities in Central Asia, he believes Kyrgyzstan offers considerable potential.
The government of President Sadyr Zhaparov has made tackling corruption and organised crime a central priority, alongside administrative and economic reforms. Ambassador Sultanov points to strong recent economic performance, with GDP growth of approximately 12 per cent during the first half of 2026.
Regional connectivity is another priority. The China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway project promises to strengthen trade routes across Central Asia, while the proposed Kambar-Ata-1 hydropower development, involving Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, could help address the region’s growing energy needs. “We have managed to turn the strategic vulnerability of being a landlocked country into a major opportunity,” he observes.
A Voice for Multilateralism
Few diplomats are better placed to appreciate the importance of international institutions than Sultanov, whose career has encompassed some of the most consequential periods in post-Cold War diplomacy. “For us, multilateralism is absolutely indispensable,” he insists.
He is particularly proud of Kyrgyzstan’s role in coordinating a cross-regional statement on behalf of more than 75 countries at the UN Human Rights Council, affirming the importance of international cooperation at a time of increasing pressure on the multilateral system. For smaller states, he argues, the rules-based international order is not an abstract principle but a fundamental national interest. Furthermore, he notes, “Kyrgyzstan admires the UK’s and EU’s special role in persistently insisting on the application of international norms, rules and values. This is indispensable for us.”
Kyrgyzstan’s election to a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for 2027–28 represents, in his view, a defining moment in the country’s diplomatic evolution.
The Ambassador is eager to work closely with the UK, a permanent member of the Council, to identify shared priorities, particularly around international law, conflict prevention and peaceful dispute resolution.
His country’s international profile has also been strengthened by its hosting of major regional gatherings, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek.
Yet for Sultanov, diplomacy is ultimately about something more fundamental than summits and institutions: the ability to understand one another.
Asked about the greatest challenge facing his country, he unexpectedly invokes the song Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood. “We need to express ourselves clearly in order not to be misunderstood,” he explains. “I’ve seen it many times. People speak the same language, but don’t understand each other at all.” He believes many international disputes originate in precisely such failures of communication.
Mountains, Culture and Common Ground
Beyond high politics and investment, the Ambassador is keen to introduce more British visitors to Kyrgyzstan’s spectacular landscapes and rich cultural heritage.
With its soaring Tian Shan mountains, alpine lakes and centuries-old nomadic traditions, the country offers an increasingly attractive destination for international travellers. British citizens can visit without a visa.
The World Nomad Games have provided another opportunity to showcase Kyrgyz culture, with the UK sending a substantial delegation of 56 athletes to the 2026 event.
Looking ahead, Kyrgyzstan will host the Second Global Mountain Summit, Bishkek+25, in October 2027, highlighting the vulnerability of mountain communities to climate change.
Cultural diplomacy will also feature prominently as the country prepares to celebrate the centenary of the birth of its celebrated writer Chingiz Aitmatov, whose novella Jamilia was famously described by Louis Aragon as “the most beautiful love story in the world.”
Away from official engagements, Sultanov is an enthusiastic tennis player and former captain of the diplomats’ tennis team in Geneva. “Last year we beat 15 international organisations in Geneva,” he declares proudly, with the unmistakable satisfaction of a seasoned competitor. It is perhaps an appropriate pastime for a diplomat who has spent his professional life building partnerships, navigating rivalries and seeking common ground.
As he embarks on his London posting, the Ambassador sees the relationship between Kyrgyzstan and Britain as offering possibilities far beyond traditional bilateral diplomacy. There is a Kyrgyz saying, he notes, that “speaking the truth is both easy and pleasant.”It is a principle he hopes will guide a relationship founded on mutual confidence, practical cooperation and a shared commitment to international dialogue.
“I see the UK as more than a bilateral partner — as the gateway to the wider world,” he concludes. “The relationship between our two countries has enormous potential, and I will do whatever it takes to achieve it.”
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