«Kyrgyzstan has always respected Russia, its history and culture,» the Minister of Economy and Finance Akylbek Japarov said today at the Kyrgyz-Russian Business Forum.
According to him, meetings of representatives of the two countries at various venues and on various topics both in Russia and in Kyrgyzstan are extremely important from the point of view of understanding the situation and developing joint decisions. The official stressed that the two states have a lot of points of contact. These are trade and economic, social, cultural and humanitarian relations.
«But the main argument and source of cooperation, I think, is our common history. These are the harsh years of the Great Patriotic War, post-Soviet industrialization and large-scale construction projects of the century, Baikal-Amur Mainline, virgin lands campaign, space exploration. Today, life has brought our countries together again within the framework of the EAEU and other associations. This is the modern history and the future of our states and peoples,» he said.
Akylbek Japarov stressed that the Russian language has always remained one of the leading languages in Kyrgyzstan, and today, according to the Constitution, it is the official one. Russian names of settlements, monuments to great Russian poets, travelers, and public figures have been preserved in Kyrgyzstan. In addition, he considers the fact that monuments to the fallen soldiers of the Great Patriotic War have been preserved in the republic as important. Today, they have become a part of the Kyrgyz culture and the property of the people.
«An example of a respectful attitude towards the Russian language is the fact that almost every Kyrgyz citizen speaks Russian. My formation as a civil servant and politician was also associated with the Russian language and Russia. We have not removed or demolished a single monument to Lenin. We have 23rd February, 8th March, 1st May holidays, we have 9th May and even 7th November holidays. This is for those hotheads who speak at our embassy in Russia. Look at your history today, we are Russian-speaking. We respect our history more than many hotheads, who want to light the fuse between our two peoples for the sake of the parliamentary elections,» the Deputy Prime Minister concluded.