Bishkek: President of the Kyrgyz Republic H E Sadyr Japarov (pictured) described the visit of H H the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to his country as ‘historic and important’, especially since H H the Amir is the first Arab leader to pay an official visit to the Kyrgyz Republic.
In an interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA), Japarov said that the visit carries a historic meaning, not only in terms of cooperation with the State of Qatar, but also in terms of relations linking Kyrgyzstan with Arab countries.
He expressed his confidence that the Amir’s visit which coincides with the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, will provide good opportunities and a strong impetus for the development of bilateral cooperation. He added that the cooperation between the two countries is moving in the right direction towards continuous development.
According to the president, the visit will highlight the available capabilities to strengthen ties and will be an important factor for the implementation of bilateral projects in the near future, as several agreements are expected in a number fields to create the appropriate conditions for cooperation. He said he’ll discuss economic and investment cooperation with the Amir during their meeting.
He referred to a number of meetings he had with the Amir at several international occasions, the most recent of which was the meeting at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. Japarov said they discussed ways to enhance cooperation, adding that the Amir’s visit to Bishkek allows a great opportunity to delve deeper into various bilateral issues of common interest. The Kyrgyz President said that the two countries are working to strengthen bilateral cooperation and political dialogue, adding that important discussions are taking place on trade, economic and investment relations, and cultural and social exchange. He noted the great Qatari support for the development of Kyrgyzstan and pointed out the importance of launching direct flights between Bishkek and Doha as an engine for the development of cooperation, explaining that he will discuss with the Amir all issues related to the development of bilateral relations.
He stressed that the relations between the leaderships of the two countries are close and warm, adding that there are many areas of cooperation, including natural products, the implementation of hydroelectric projects, the development of renewable energy sources in the field of green energy, and in ecotourism.
He added that with Kyrgyzstan’s location in the middle of the ‘Eurasia’ region (Europe and Asia), they are looking for new ways for the Central Asian region to develop. He said they are working on large projects to develop transport and logistics routes, such as the railway road project ‘China - Kyrgyzstan - Uzbekistan’ as this opens the door to several large projects, and they intend to discuss the project with the Qatari side.
Japarov said his country is moving towards a policy of digital transformation and is working on joint projects with many startups. He highlighted the High Technology Park which he said further proves there are opportunities in joint business and to support emerging companies with Qatar’s expertise.
On political cooperation, the President said that his country’s international policy is based on mutual respect and the principles of the United Nations Charter, while striving for stable development with neighboring countries in the region.
He added that Kyrgyzstan and Qatar support each other within the framework of international organisation, and they have common views on many regional and international issues. He spoke about the important role played by Qatar in international politics, noting the foreign policy it follows, which is characterized by firm principles while maintaining flexibility at the same time.
Japarov said that they highly appreciate Qatar at the international level in recent years, especially in mediation. He highlighted the humanitarian assistance provided by Qatar to countries and its contributions to development programmes.
He added that they are interested in cooperating with Qatar in implementing large and promising projects. He called for focusing on projects that will give new impetus to the country and Central Asia. Japarov also noted the importance of investing in the energy sector, explaining that the Kyrgyz Republic is rich in mineral waters and rivers, and 90 percent of the electricity generated is obtained from running water, yet his country uses only 10 percent of its potential in energy production.
