The meeting was held on the sidelines of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council meeting.
Excerpt from the
transcript:
Ulukbek Maripov: Mr
Mishustin,
Mikhail Mishustin’s meeting with Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Ulukbek Maripov
I am very glad
to once again welcome you and the Russian delegation in Cholpon-Ata, on the
shore of Lake Issyk-Kul.
Kyrgyzstan and
Russia are united by strong and long-lasting friendship, mutual understanding
and support. Fruitful strategic cooperation and comprehensive interaction is
developing between our countries. We appreciate and value it.
It is symbolic
that it was in the Issyk-Kul Region of Kyrgyzstan that the historically true
and fateful intention, an impulse, it could be said, to get closer to Russia
was formed in the middle of the 19th century. We are sincerely
interested and also speak in favour of strengthening our bilateral cooperation,
including within the Eurasian Economic Union. We will overcome all the trials
together, with mutual support.
Mr Mishustin,
today various catastrophes have become more frequent in many regions, including
in Russia and Kyrgyzstan, in addition to the pandemic: floods, fires and mudslides.
These catastrophes are often very large. We were sad and concerned to hear
about the fires in Yakutia and the floods in southern Russia. We are anxiously
following the extensive measures and efforts to relieve these emergencies. I
would like to wish you speedy success in dealing with the impact of these disasters.
As for
countering the coronavirus, our countries have shown successful experience and the
effectiveness of cooperation. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Russia has
provided significant aid, and we are very grateful for this. The general
situation around the coronavirus in Kyrgyzstan has somewhat stabilised in recent
weeks.
About the
bilateral trade between Russia and Kyrgyzstan: we are glad to note that this
year we can see the gradual restoration of economic activity and positive
trends in trade. In January – June 2021, mutual trade amounted to over one
billion dollars. That is an increase of almost 30 percent compared to the same
period last year.
Mr Mishustin, we
have received confirmation that you will attend the closing ceremony of the
Cross Year of Kyrgyzstan and Russia in person when it takes place in November
at the meeting of the CIS Heads of State Council. I would like to thank you for
agreeing to this.
I suggest giving
official status to your upcoming visit to Kyrgyzstan. We are always glad to
have meetings with you, Mr Mishustin, where we can openly and confidentially discuss
topical issues on the bilateral agenda.
Please, you have
the floor.
Mikhail Mishustin: Mr Maripov, I would like to thank you once again for
the warm welcome and for organising the meeting of the Eurasian
Intergovernmental Council. This is my first visit to Kyrgyzstan as Prime
Minister. We value the friendship and brotherly relations between the Russians
and the Kyrgyz. And, of course, we are interested in the progressive development
of our relations and our cooperation in all areas.
We continue to
hold events as part of the Cross Year of Russia and Kyrgyzstan. Despite the
coronavirus-related restrictions, we have managed to organise important events,
including the one you have mentioned – the upcoming closing ceremony.
Russia remains a
leading trade partner of Kyrgyzstan. According to our data, following the first
six months bilateral trade grew 37 percent compared with January-June 2020 and
amounted to over one billion dollars.
Of course, the task
of the governments is to fill bilateral cooperation with new content and launch
prospective joint projects. It is also important for our joint
Russian-Kyrgyzstani intergovernmental commission to work effectively in these
spheres too.
Major Russian
investors operate in Kyrgyzstan in the spheres of energy, industry, mining and
ICT. It is important to create comfortable working conditions, including for
Russian companies, and create a favourable business climate that will attract
investors, in particular from Russia, to work in Kyrgyzstan.
I would like to
note the effective activities of the Russian-Kyrgyzstani Development
Foundation. More than 1,400 projects are being implemented and our Kyrgyzstani
partners’ new proposals are being discussed.
We are focusing
on joint efforts in combatting the coronavirus. Rospotrebnadzor experts have
executed several missions to Kyrgyzstan. Humanitarian aid has been provided.
Mobile labs for new test systems to diagnose the disease have been given. The
Sputnik V vaccine is being shipped.
It was decided
to increase the frequency of regular flights between Moscow and Bishkek to
seven times a week in both directions. In addition to this, flights from
Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Kazan, Yekaterinburg, Irkutsk and Grozny are being
resumed, with one flight a week.
Cultural
cooperation, including in education, is another important sphere. We are
successfully implementing a project on sending Russian teachers to Kyrgyzstani
schools. I would like to note our presidents’ important role in this.
I would also
like to note the significance of the official status of Russian in Kyrgyzstan.
This has an important positive impact on interethnic and interfaith harmony. We
expect that in the future the leadership of Kyrgyzstan will ensure the
protection of the rights and interests of Russian citizens and our compatriots living
in the republic.
