Confidently taking its place in the Customs Union on its own terms, Kyrgyzstan has embarked on the large-scale Chinese project of the Silk Road Economic Belt. The active participation of Kyrgyzstan in the project was announced by Sun He, advisor on trade and economic projects at the Chinese Embassy in Kyrgyzstan, during the first international economic forum "Issyk-Kul-2014." The active involvement of the country in the revival of the economic belt of the Great Silk Road was confirmed by Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev during his visit to China in May 2014. Sun He characterized the significance of Kyrgyzstan in the history of the Silk Road as follows: "Kyrgyzstan was an important country on the ancient Great Silk Road. Today, the country is an indispensable participant in the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt. The creation of the Silk Road Economic Belt opens up broad prospects for Chinese-Kyrgyz cooperation. In this regard, we must carefully consider and develop specific steps and paths for mutually beneficial cooperation. In this matter, we need to proceed gradually, without haste, so that each step brings benefits to both sides." It is assumed that within the framework of participation in the Silk Road Economic Belt, small projects in the fields of transportation, resource development, and energy will be implemented jointly with Kyrgyzstan, financing mechanisms will be formed, and cooperation will be expanded in agriculture, the processing industry, and livestock. Kyrgyzstan and China actively cooperate on many issues. In particular, Kyrgyzstan is one of the major (considering the small budget of the KR) debtors to the PRC, and together, with the funds of Chinese investors, the countries are building the "North-South" highway.
