Diloromkan Duyshobaeva, chairwoman of the Association of Kyrgyz Seamstresses, informed the deputies that one of the key problems lies in the new Russian legislation, which has changed the procedure for importing goods, but there are no clear instructions or mechanisms for its implementation.
“Among the main obstacles at the border is the lack of a laboratory in Kyrgyzstan that would ensure the safety and quality testing of products. We have traveled to China four times in search of an investor and have long sought from the government the allocation of land for the construction of a laboratory. Ultimately, we were provided with 4 hectares in the village of Vostok, and the site is already ready for construction work to begin,” she said.
Duyshobaeva also mentioned that the investor who intended to build the laboratory, while the land issue was being resolved, invested funds in Uzbekistan. She emphasized that Kyrgyzstan does not have the same conditions and incentives for investors that are present in the neighboring country.
In her opinion, if the laboratory had been built earlier, many of the current difficulties could have been avoided.
“With the presence of a laboratory, even if the border with Russia is closed, we would be able to enter the European market. In light of the current situation in the Russian Federation, we are considering alternative markets such as Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, but unfortunately, the cost of shipping goods from China is $1.20, from Kyrgyzstan is $2, while from Uzbekistan to Tajikistan it is only $0.60,” she noted.
The chairwoman of the association added that previously seamstresses managed to cope with the challenges that arose and developed their industry independently, but now they are facing systemic problems and need support from the government.
In the autumn of 2025, it was reported that changes in Russian legislation had created additional difficulties for Kyrgyz seamstresses. Problems related to the export of products to the Russian Federation were also discussed at the Ministry of Economy and Commerce. This was addressed at various meetings.
