Kyrgyz president says UK foreign secretary’s visit to give new impetus to bilateral cooperation

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov said UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron’s visit to his country will give new impetus to cooperation between the two countries, as the latter conducts a surprise regional visit to Central Asia.

“President Sadyr Japarov expressed confidence that David Cameron’s official visit to Kyrgyzstan will give new impetus to multifaceted cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and the UK,” said a statement by the Kyrgyz presidency following talks in the capital Bishkek late Monday.

The statement said Japarov and Cameron exchanged views on the prospects for bilateral cooperation, including in the political, trade, economic, investment, energy, and transport sectors.

It further said the two sides discussed the possibilities of expanding the interaction between the two countries on issues of education and seasonal labor migration.

Japarov noted that the UK has an important place in Kyrgyzstan’s foreign policy toward the West, and that the sides also addressed current topics on the regional and international agenda, the statement also said.

For his part, Cameron expressed his gratitude to Japarov for the warm welcome he has received upon his arrival, noting the importance of developing and strengthening bilateral cooperation in various fields and the existing potential between the two countries.

During his visit, Cameron also held talks with his counterpart Jeenbek Kulubaev, where the top Kyrgyz diplomat expressed hope that the positive dynamics of the dialogue between Bishkek and London will continue in the future, according to a Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry statement.

He further informed Cameron on potential areas of bilateral cooperation, including attracting foreign investment, increasing trade turnover, joint development of rare earth metals using advanced technologies, and the transition to green energy.

Meanwhile, Cameron informed Kulubaev about the UK’s interest in expanding its partnership with the countries of Central Asia, particularly Kyrgyzstan, going on to express the British side’s readiness to help support small and medium-sized businesses in the region by creating a special fund with a capital of £19 million ($23.4 million) per region.

​​​​​​​On Monday, Cameron embarked on a regional tour to Central Asian countries – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan – and Mongolia "as part of government ambition to increase engagement with this pivotal region of the world," which began with a visit to the Tajik capital Dushanbe.