After the signing of the document, both presidents addressed the journalists.
President Japarov presented his statement, after which Vladimir Putin took the floor. He expressed gratitude to the President of Kyrgyzstan and his team for the warm welcome.
“I want to note, dear Sadyr Nurkhozhoyevich, that yesterday's informal meeting was very valuable. We were able to discuss many issues related to the development of our relations. I completely agree with your opinion that today’s negotiations were held in a constructive atmosphere and became an important step in strengthening our good-neighborly ties,” Putin noted.
During the discussions, the presidents touched upon a wide range of issues related to bilateral cooperation and concluded that the Joint Statement was a significant step towards deepening Russian-Kyrgyz relations.
Several intergovernmental and interagency agreements aimed at developing practical interaction were also signed.
The negotiations focused on issues of economic cooperation, as a result of which trade turnover between Russia and Kyrgyzstan exceeded $4 billion last year. This year, there has been a growth in mutual supplies of goods by about 17%. We have also abandoned the use of foreign currencies in settlements, and the share of the ruble in trade transactions reached 97%. Russia is assisting Kyrgyzstan in improving its tax system, which has already brought additional revenues to the country’s budget amounting to over $1 billion. Russian investments in the Kyrgyz economy amount to nearly $2 billion, and about 1,700 Russian companies operate in key sectors such as energy, agriculture, and transport.
Kyrgyzstan actively participates in the Eurasian Economic Union, where common markets for goods and services are being created. Over the past ten years, since joining the EAEU, the republic's GDP has increased by 2.5 times, and the volume of exports to other countries of the union has quadrupled.
Russia supports a development fund through which over 3,500 projects in the real sector of the economy are being implemented in Kyrgyzstan, totaling around $1 billion. Energy is one of the key areas of cooperation, where Russia fully supplies Kyrgyzstan with gasoline and diesel on preferential terms. Gazprom is involved in the gasification of regions in the country, allocating over $400 million, which has increased the level of gas supply to 42%. Russia also provides Kyrgyzstan with electricity and participates in the modernization of hydroelectric power stations, planning the construction of a solar power plant and a new thermal power station.
Humanitarian cooperation between the two countries is also actively developing. More than 10,000 Kyrgyz students study in Russian universities, and half of them receive education on a budgetary basis. The Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University operates in Bishkek, where about 7,500 students are enrolled. The signed agreement provides for the construction of new buildings for the university. The Russian language, which has official status, is actively used in Kyrgyzstan, and its application is supported by the authorities of the country.
Additionally, the Eurasian Center for the Russian Language and Culture was opened in Bishkek, and a new Russian-language television channel "Nomad" was launched. Russia will continue to support the quality of education in the Russian language by supplying educational materials and sending teachers as part of the "Russian Teacher Abroad" project. The construction of new Russian-language schools is also planned, three of which will open in 2027.
Issues of military cooperation were also addressed. The presidents discussed joint efforts in the fight against terrorism and organized crime. The Russian military base located in Kyrgyzstan plays an important role in ensuring security in Central Asia. Our countries coordinate their positions on the international stage, including the UN and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. At the end of the meeting, Putin expressed gratitude to the Kyrgyz side for the constructive negotiations and announced the upcoming visit of Japarov to St. Petersburg to participate in an informal meeting of the CIS leaders and a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council.
