President Sooronbay Jeenbekov meets with Head of EBRD Suma Chakrabarti

Bishkek, May 23, 2019. /Kabar/. President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sooronbay Jeenbekov today, on May 23 met with Suma Chakrabarti, the Head of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the President’s press service reported.
The sides exchanged views on the prospects of cooperation in the implementation of development projects, including the modernization and construction of water facilities and the expansion of irrigation networks across the country. They also discussed the possibility of providing technical support within the framework of the regional development policy.
The head of state noted the active role of the EBRD in the implementation of various infrastructure projects in the country and expressed gratitude for the provided assistance.
"The Bank's activities contribute to the growth of the level of citizens’ well-being. Joint efforts are being made to implement projects in the field of energy, providing clean drinking water, support private enterprise, and strengthening of the country's financial sector. Implementation of 249 investment projects for the amount of USD 20 billion is planned within the framework of the country’s National Development Strategy till 2040 to reduce unemployment and migration," President Jeenbekov stressed.
He noted the importance and necessity of the Forum "Clean Water for the Regions" for the country, which was held today in Bishkek with the participation of Jeenbekov and Chakrabarti.
"The provision of clean water for the country is a priority area of my program. We will provide all regions of the country with clean water in the next five years. Of course, the Bank's assistance in implementing these projects is invaluable," Sooronbay Jeenbekov said.
The Head of EBRD expressed the Bank's readiness to support projects in Kyrgyzstan and increase the amount of investment.
"A lot of work on development and improving the lives of the population has been done in Kyrgyzstan. The investment climate in the country has been significantly improved. We supported about 200 projects worth USD 800 million. The EBRD annually allocates about EUR 15 million to support projects in Kyrgyzstan, but is ready to increase investments to EUR 100 million a year. We support your priority areas of water supply, irrigation, agriculture, energy, mining industry, etc.," Chakrabarti said.