The head of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan Akylbek Japarov called the return of Kumtor a crushing blow to corruption. He stated this in an interview with Kabar news agency.
The official noted that the return of Kumtor to the people was not so much an economic act as a spiritual one.
«This is a watershed mark that divided the recent history of Kyrgyzstan into two different stages. The return of Kumtor is a landmark, very symbolic act. This is a victory not only over an external enemy that has seized the property of the people, but also over internal ones — own fears, disbelief in own strength. After all, many people literally imposed an inferiority complex on us, arguing that we were not able to manage such a complex, high-tech production. And most importantly, it is a crushing blow to corruption. Because the fish stinks from the head. Because the leadership of the country, who received rent from Kumtor, could not fight corruption,» he said.
Nevertheless, Akylbek Japarov admitted that corruption cannot be defeated in principle, since it is inherent in the very nature of power and man.
«We can only reduce its level as much as possible. The cleanliness of the tops is crucial here. In this sense, we can say that the cancerous tumor corroding the body of the republic has been removed, and it will be easier to fight metastases,» he said.
It should be noted that the procedure for exchanging documents confirming the process of transfer of Kumtor gold mine to the ownership of the Kyrgyz Republic took place at the Embassy of Kyrgyzstan in the UK on July 29, 2022.
