12:16, 01 декабря 2022, Bishkek - 24.kg news agency , Tatyana KUDRYAVTSEVA
Akylbek Japarov, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan, spoke at the Central Asian Investment Forum held in Tokyo (Japan). Press service of the Cabinet reported.
He noted that the countries were witnessing a period of «crisis after crisis». Development of sustainable development goals, green economy and integration processes are under threat. The world is on the threshold of global transformations.
The change in the balance of the world economy leads to a shift in its «center of gravity» from the West to Southeast Asia.
Asia has become the world’s economic leader in terms of nominal GDP at purchasing power parity. The geography of Asia’s trade turnover began to far exceed the foreign trade presence of the United States. The region is dynamically developing and has significant human and natural resources. More than 60 percent of the world’s population lives in Asia. At least 21 out of the 30 largest cities in the world are located on this continent.
«Exactly two weeks ago, the world population reached 8 billion. According to the UN, this figure was achieved thanks to the growth dynamics in the Asian region. Against this general background, the strategic role and importance of Central Asia is growing. Central Asia ceases to be a periphery in the global market. The aggregate gross domestic product of the countries of Central Asia is $347 billion. Its role in the regional and world economy has increased significantly. Over the past 20 years, the GDP of the Central Asian countries has increased by 7.5 times, and the average growth rate reached 6.2 percent. This is higher than the indicators of developing countries, and in comparison with the world economy as a whole, growth is more than 2 times higher,» Akylbek Japarov said.
He believes that the role of Central Asia in the global market will increase. Trade routes and supply chains of goods are moving into the region. Already today, land and rail routes through Central Asia are becoming more attractive, and the delivery of goods to the West is becoming cheaper and faster.
Under these conditions, new opportunities open up for the countries of Central Asia, in particular for Kyrgyzstan.
«But in order to gain a new round of development, it is necessary to carry out infrastructural integration. For countries like ours, which do not have access to the sea, it is necessary to develop road and rail infrastructure. We need new rail routes that will connect us with other countries and allow us to integrate our economy into the global supply chain. So, construction of China — Kyrgyzstan — Uzbekistan railway will begin in the near future, the cost of which is currently estimated at $6 billion,» the head of the Cabinet said.
He drew attention to the fact that climate change, growing population and the planet’s economy are raising the issue of clean and sustainable energy in a new way. In this regard, the Central Asian region has enormous potential as a source of renewable energy. Currently, only 10 percent of the available hydropower potential is being used.
Given this, the prospects for the development of hydropower in Kyrgyzstan and in the region as a whole are very significant.
Akylbek Japarov
«The Central Asian region, including Kyrgyzstan, offers a wide range of areas and opportunities that may be of interest to Japanese investment. I invite Japanese partners to actively invest in the Kyrgyz economy. A commercial bank is already operating in Kyrgyzstan, 52.9 percent of its shares are owned by the Japanese public company Sawada Holdings Co. Ltd,» Akylbek Japarov said.
The Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers believes that the main gain for the Central Asian countries from Japanese investment will be reliability. In his opinion, this is, perhaps, the most necessary thing in today’s raging sea of uncertainty.