On December 9, the Minister of Economy and Commerce, Bakyt Sydykov, held a meeting with Remy Duflo, the new head of the European Union Delegation to Kyrgyzstan.
During this meeting, the minister congratulated Duflo on his appointment and expressed hope that his extensive experience would benefit the deepening and expansion of cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and the EU.
Sydykov emphasized that the data shows a steady growth in trade turnover between the two regions: since 2021, trade volumes have increased two and a half times, reaching $837 million by the end of 2024.
The minister also discussed key areas of the National Development Program until 2030, including industrialization, the development of "green" energy, the creation of a regional hub, as well as support for agriculture and tourism. He also noted the importance of tax preferences for investors and emphasized that the ministry is focused on assisting small and medium-sized businesses, hoping for support from Europe.
Remy Duflo, in turn, shared his impressions from his first visit to Kyrgyzstan in the early 1990s, noting that he is well acquainted with the country.
He also reminded about the Agreement on Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation, signed as a result of President Sadyr Japarov's working visit to Belgium last year, which will open new opportunities for strengthening ties after the completion of ratification procedures.
The prospects for expanding trade and economic relations within the GSP+ regime were also discussed, highlighting the significant potential of this mechanism and the importance of its effective application by Kyrgyzstan.
GSP+ (Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus) is a special EU trade regime that provides Kyrgyzstan with preferential access to the European Union market.
