Kyrgyzstan rejects any law allowing sale of land to foreigners

Kyrgyzstan’s parliament will not approve any legislation allowing the sale or transfer of national territory to foreign entities, Speaker Marlen Mamataliyev said on Monday, July 28, amid debate over a proposed land reform bill.

“Neither the president, nor the Jogorku Kenesh, nor the people will allow this. Not a single meter of Kyrgyz land will pass to another state,” he said.

The draft law, which has not yet been formally submitted to parliament, has already drawn public attention. Mamataliyev said he had reviewed the proposal and stressed that it does not permit land sales but instead introduces tighter controls over land leases.

Under the proposed changes, land could be reclaimed by the state if tenants fail to use it for its intended purpose. For instance, plots designated for industrial development, such as factories, could not later be repurposed for housing.

The bill would also ban the leasing of key categories of land, including pastures, mineral resource sites, protected natural areas, and other strategically important territories.

Lease terms would be capped, with land initially granted for 10 years. Extensions of up to 25 years could follow if investors meet agreed conditions, with a maximum total duration of 50 years. After that period, the land would revert to state ownership without further renewal.

“When the draft law is submitted to the Jogorku Kenesh, we will consider all its advantages and disadvantages. But we will never adopt a law on the sale of Kyrgyz land or its transfer to others,” Mamataliyev said.

The Cabinet of Ministers previously opened the proposed amendments to public consultation as part of efforts to revise rules governing the allocation of state-owned land.

By Tamilla Hasanova