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.
