nCa Report
On 12 October 2023, President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov and President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin had summit talks as part of Putin’s official visit to Bishkek, where a summit of CIS heads of state will be held on 13 October.
Welcoming Putin, Japarov noted that the visit had great symbolic meaning, as it coincided with the 20th anniversary of the Russian Kant Airbase and the 30th anniversary of the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University.
He also stressed that Kyrgyzstan highly appreciates the Kyrgyz-Russian strategic partnership and allied relations.
Following the summit talks, seven documents were signed.
In addition, Japarov was awarded the Order of Honor for ‘a significant contribution to strengthening the relations of strategic partnership and alliance between the Russian Federation and the Kyrgyz Republic and to the development of integration processes in the Eurasian space.’
The following key statements made by Putin and Zhaparov characterize the current state of Russian-Kyrgyz relations:
- In 2022, trade turnover between Russia and Kyrgyzstan increased by 37% to reach US $ 3.5 billion. In the first half of this year, it grew by 17.9%. The parties agreed to take measures to bring mutual trade to US $ 5 billion.
- Russia is the largest investor in the Kyrgyz economy. Russian investments share about 36% of all accumulated foreign direct investments in the Kyrgyz economy. Today there are more than 800 enterprises with Russian capital in the country.
- Kyrgyz and Russian businesses are interested in cooperation in such areas as energy, industry, agriculture, high technology, and others.
- During the negotiations, the parties touched upon such areas as investments, the fuel and energy complex, and agriculture.
- On the eve of the summit, the 10th Kyrgyz-Russian Interregional Conference on industrial cooperation was held in Jalalabad. As a result of the conference, deals worth over US $3.5 billion were signed.
- Over the past 30 years of its operation, the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University has become one of the leaders in the field of higher education and science in Kyrgyzstan.
- In the field of security, the Presidents noted the positive role of the Joint Russian Military Base in the city of Kant and called for strengthening cooperation in the fight against international terrorism, extremism, drug and arms trafficking, cybersecurity, and other forms of transnational organized crime both in a bilateral format and within the framework of international organizations.
The following documents were signed during the summit:
- Intergovernmental Agreement on the terms of operation of the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University;
- Cooperation Agreement between the Ministry of Justice of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation;
- Cooperation program between the Ministry of Justice of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation for 2023-2024;
- Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Agriculture of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation in the field of forestry development;
- Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation on cooperation in the field of environmental protection and natural resources;
- Protocol of Intent between the Ministry of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic and Lomonosov Moscow State University;
- Memorandum of Understanding between the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Government of the Russian Federation on biological safety.
///nCa, 13 October 2023
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