Aiming for Prosperous Switzerland
Kyrgyzstan still remains a country that is entirely dependent on foreign influences. Despite the ongoing difficulties faced by foreigners working in the territory of the Kyrgyz Republic, they continue to believe in the promises of the official authorities regarding support and invest fabulous sums into our country. This week, the First Deputy Prime Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic, Joomart Otorbaev, met with the Ambassador of Switzerland to the Kyrgyz Republic, Rene Holenstein. The parties discussed current and future joint projects.
There are 31 Kyrgyz-Swiss projects being implemented in the Kyrgyz Republic. In recent years, funding for these projects has increased by approximately 50 percent. "The relationship between Kyrgyzstan and Switzerland improves every year. Switzerland is open to working with us. The country has opened an embassy and a consulate in the Kyrgyz Republic. About 70 million Swiss francs are planned to be spent on the development of our country's infrastructure. Just the rehabilitation project of the At-Bashinsky Hydroelectric Power Station is worth it. It will not only help increase electricity generation in the country but also create additional jobs," emphasized Joomart Otorbaev.
The First Deputy Prime Minister highly praised the development of Kyrgyzstan in recent years. Kyrgyzstan is confidently moving forward, increasing its economic potential. According to Otorbaev, a prime example of this is the decrease in the inflation rate and the record growth rates of the economy in 2013. The figures impressed the Prime Minister so much that he has been unable to contain his excitement and has been tirelessly sharing the good news with foreigners for the third month in a row. In terms of future plans, Joomart Otorbaev traditionally envisions reducing poverty and creating conditions for business.
The efforts have not been in vain. The Swiss ambassador was moved by the heartfelt speech of the Kyrgyz First Deputy Prime Minister and stated that Kyrgyzstan is one of the countries in Central Asia with an open economy. "The economy and private sector are developing in the country. However, there are still many tasks ahead for the country's leadership. We will try to assist in this process. For example, we will work together on a strategy for developing relations with Kyrgyzstan over the next two years," emphasized Rene Holenstein.
The Europeans are also interested in investing in energy and solving the region's water problems. The diplomat also shared good news. In 2015, the Swiss Fund will increase its share of funding for projects in Kyrgyzstan for international development to 5 percent.
