MOSCOW, Oct 12, Viktor Zhdanov. On the eve of the CIS summit, Vladimir Putin met with the President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov. The negotiations ended with the signing and ratification of important agreements in various areas — from the economy to defense. What was discussed — in the material .
The meeting is long overdue. The visit to Bishkek is the Russian leader’s first foreign trip this year. Upon arrival, Putin laid wreaths at the Ata-Beyit (Tomb of the Fathers) memorial complex, dedicated to the victims of political repression of the 1930s and the 1916 uprising. Japarov received him at the Ala-Archa state residence. The Russian President greeted the honor guard in Kyrgyz: “Salam, asker.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin at the flower-laying ceremony at the memorial to those killed during the tragic events of 1916, located on the territory of the Ata-Beyit complex
“I am very glad to be in Kyrgyzstan today,” Putin said. Japarov replied that he greatly values relations with Moscow. “There is a strong foundation and broad prospects for strengthening the alliance and strategic partnership between Kyrgyzstan and Russia,” he emphasized. Drawing attention to the development of public diplomacy, he mentioned the construction of Russian schools in the republic. More than 100 teachers were sent to Kyrgyzstan under the “Russian Teacher Abroad” project.
For strengthening interstate relations, Putin awarded Japarov the Order of Honor. The Russian leader noted Japarov's activity in the issue of integration of the Eurasian space and assured that Kyrgyzstan can count on the same constructiveness and interest from the Russian side.
Unified positionHaving discussed regional and global problems, the heads of state stated that their positions largely coincide. Putin recalled that Russia and Kyrgyzstan coordinate work at the UN and other international platforms, including the SCO and the CIS. Moscow highly appreciates Bishkek's work as the chairman of the CIS. “Russia is taking the baton from Kyrgyzstan,” the president said. “It will preside in 2024.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin at Russian-Kyrgyz negotiations in Bishkek
Putin also took part in the event dedicated to 20th anniversary of the Russian air base in Kant. The airfield in this city played an important role in repelling the invasion of the Batken region by international terrorists in 1999 and 2000. After this, at the request of the Kyrgyz authorities, a military base was created there, which Vladimir Putin and President of Kyrgyzstan Askar Akaev officially opened on October 23, 2003.
«Russian military personnel stationed in Kyrgyzstan serve with honor, successfully fulfill the multifaceted tasks assigned to them, and assist Kyrgyz law enforcement agencies in the fight against extremism, terrorism, drug trafficking and organized crime,» Putin emphasized. He thanked the Kyrgyz people for their kind attitude towards the Russian military and their families.
Moscow intends to provide the outpost with the most modern weapons. “The Russian leadership will continue to pay close attention to the issues of providing the air base with the most advanced types of weapons, modern technology and equipment, and we will do everything necessary to solve the everyday and social problems of military personnel,” the president said.
Kant Air Base in Kyrgyzstan
According to Japarov, «Kant» serves as a deterrent to the terrorist and extremist threat in the region. Russia and Kyrgyzstan agreed to expand cooperation in the military and military-technical spheres. A great achievement for both sides was the agreement on the formation of a joint air defense system, which Kyrgyzstan ratified today. Bishkek will provide a five-hectare plot of land next to the Russian airbase.
“I am convinced that the created regional air defense system will be an effective tool for protecting the common aerospace space from threats and will contribute to strengthening relations in the military sphere,” Japarov said.
What else was agreed upon? We also talked about the economy. Russia is the largest investor in Kyrgyzstan (36 percent of investments). There are 800 enterprises with Russian participation in the republic. By the end of the year, Bishkek will receive 1.2 million tons of fuel at a reduced price. Putin said that in the first six months of 2023, mutual trade turnover increased by 17.9 percent, although last year there was a record of $3.4 billion.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov at the ceremony of signing joint documents following the Russian-Kyrgyz negotiations in Bishkek
We need to reach five billion. “We agreed that the volume of trade turnover between our countries does not correspond to the potential that we have,” Zhaparov explained. Putin pointed to calculations in national currencies. “The share of the ruble in counter commercial transactions reached an impressive 83 percent.”
We also concluded an intergovernmental agreement on the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University, which is celebrating its thirtieth anniversary. We decided to cooperate on issues of ensuring biological safety. A document on cooperation for 2024-2025 was signed by the Ministry of Justice.
President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov
Karabakh and peacekeepers Later, Putin met with the leader of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev. We discussed the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh and the Russian peacekeepers stationed there, as well as the return of Karabakh Armenians to their places of residence. Moreover, on Putin’s initiative, the heads of state, after negotiations with the participation of delegations, talked one-on-one.
“The number one issue is the situation around Karabakh, but we also have another agenda, it is quite extensive,” the Russian leader said. Aliyev agreed, adding that there are many questions: “My colleagues and I will talk about the bilateral agenda, especially since we have something to talk about.” The Azerbaijani leader noted that this year there are very impressive results between Moscow and Baku in terms of trade turnover, industrial cooperation and cooperation in the transport sector.