Orunbekov noted that "the sanctions imposed by Western countries on two Kyrgyz banks are based on accusations that they allegedly work with Russia's Sberbank and participate in laundering its funds." According to him, such accusations are unfounded and do not take into account the real economic situation.
He stated that there are about a million migrants from Kyrgyzstan working in Russia, who transfer billions of rubles to their relatives every month through Sberbank and other financial institutions. These funds are converted into soms and handed over to recipients in the country, while rubles are also used to pay for imports of goods from Russia.
Thus, the accusations of banks cooperating with Russian institutions for the purpose of "laundering" ignore economic realities. Orunbekov added that such sanctions and calls to sever ties with Russian banks could undermine the financial stability of the state and negatively impact migrant families who depend on these remittances.
