On November 26, negotiations took place between the delegations of the two countries in an expanded format. The first to speak at the meeting was the President of Kyrgyzstan, Sadyr Japarov.
Then the floor was given to Vladimir Putin.
During his speech, he expressed gratitude to Sadyr Japarov for the invitation, noting that the Russian delegation is pleased to be in "friendly Kyrgyzstan."
This visit precedes a meeting of the Collective Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
Putin highly appreciated Kyrgyzstan's efforts during its chairmanship in the CSTO, adding that Russia is ready to take over the baton and will lead the organization in 2026.
Relations between Russia and Kyrgyzstan are developing in the spirit of strategic partnership and alliance, based on mutual respect and consideration of each other's interests, as outlined in the basic treaty on friendship and cooperation.
The leaders of the countries maintain a constant dialogue and closely monitor key aspects of bilateral interaction.
At the end of this year, a meeting is planned in Russia during the session of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council and the traditional pre-New Year meeting of the heads of CIS states. The negotiations promise to be intensive. In particular, a joint programmatic statement on deepening allied and strategic relations will be prepared, outlining key tasks for strengthening cooperation. The signing of a number of important intergovernmental and interagency agreements in the fields of trade, economy, education, and migration is also expected.
Russia is the main trade and economic partner of Kyrgyzstan, and last year the trade turnover increased by 13.6%, reaching a record $4.1 billion. From January to September of this year, growth was another 17%. Notably, about 97% of all transactions are conducted in national currencies. We are also considering new mechanisms for organizing mutual settlements. You mentioned investments from Russia. Indeed, they continue to grow and amount to almost $2 billion. About 1,700 enterprises with Russian capital operate in Kyrgyzstan. The trust of Russian investors in the Kyrgyz economy is linked to your efforts and positive domestic political dynamics. We are pleased to note that under your leadership, the republic has become a stable and reliable partner, which is one of the key conditions for further development of our trade, economic, and investment ties.
An intergovernmental commission is actively functioning, focused on implementing a comprehensive cooperation program for 2022-2026. Leading Russian oil and gas companies supply Kyrgyzstan with natural gas and petroleum products. We see significant opportunities for expanding cooperation in the field of peaceful nuclear energy, as well as in the construction of solar and wind power plants and in the area of digital economy. In the transport and logistics sector, interregional cooperation covers more than 80 subjects of Russia and all 7 regions of Kyrgyzstan. Regular bilateral conferences are held at the regional level.
In October 2024, the Days of Kyrgyz Culture in Russia were successfully held, and this autumn the Days of Russian Culture in Kyrgyzstan are expected. We appreciate the attention of the Kyrgyz leadership to the support of the Russian language, which has official status in the country. In 2023, we began a large-scale joint project to build 9 secondary schools with instruction in Russian, with the first three schools scheduled to open by September 1, 2027. Under the "Russian Teacher Abroad" program, 157 Russian teachers work in 42 schools across the country.
Special attention is paid to cooperation in the field of security. The united Russian military base located in Kyrgyzstan plays an important role in ensuring stability in the region. We adhere to agreed positions within international organizations such as the EAEU, CSTO, CIS, and the UN.
We are set for close cooperation during Kyrgyzstan's chairmanship in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which began in September. Overall, today we can discuss in detail all aspects of our bilateral interaction and outline ways for further deepening our multilateral cooperation,” concluded the Russian leader.
