Country code: 996 (312 for Bishkek). International calls should be made from a telephone office which will usually be found attached to a post office; they can also be made from some hotels by asking at reception. All international calls from Kyrgyzstan have to go through the operator. Local calls (within the city) are free of charge if made from private telephones; hotels sometimes levy a small charge. Direct-dial calls within the CIS are obtained by dialling 8 and waiting for another dial tone and then dialling the city code followed by the number.

Roaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone companies. Coverage is limited.

There are Internet cafes available in Bishkek and Osh, with limited access elsewhere.

Letters to and from Western Europe and the USA can take anything between two weeks and two months. Stamped envelopes can be bought from post offices. Mail to recipients within Kyrgyzstan should be addressed in the following order: country, postcode, city, street, house number and, lastly, the person’s name. Visitors can also use post offices located within some major hotels.

Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1800.

• The Bishkek Observer, Kyrgyzstan Chronicle, Times of Central Asia and Zaman Kyrgyzstan are published weekly in English.
• The main dailies are published in Bishkek and include Kyrgyz Tuusu (both in Kyrgyz), and Delo No, Slovo Kyrgyzstana and Vechernii Bishkek (in Russian).
• The main dailies are published in Bishkek and include Vecherniy Bishkek, MSN, ResPublica. Weeklies include Delo No and Obshchestvennyy Reyting.

• State-run Kyrgyz National TV and Radio Broadcasting Corporation operates two networks.
• Private channels include Pirimida and Osh TV.

• Kyrgyz National TV and Radio Broadcasting Corporation runs two networks.
• Private stations include Almaz and Europa Plus.