«The investment global forum Central Asia and the European Union, which will be held on January 29-30 in Brussels, is the keynote of discussions,» the Ambassador of the European Union in the Kyrgyz Republic Marilyn Josefson said, commenting on the results of the visit of the Vice-President of the European Commission Margaritis Shinas to the republic.
According to her, Margaritis Shinas held meetings in all five CA countries with presidents, prime ministers and foreign ministers. He arrived in Bishkek yesterday from Astana and met with the president, the head of the Cabinet of Ministers and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan. He is scheduled to have similar meetings in Tashkent and Ashgabat next.
«We are working on the investment forum to be held as part of our Global Gateway Initiative. It focuses primarily on transportation issues. We have been working on the forum for the last three years. The Global Gateway Initiative has three main pillars — water and energy, transportation, climate change and private sector development,» the EU Ambassador said.
She said that the event would bring together representatives of the private sector, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Investment Bank. Since the forum is an initiative of the EU states, there will be representatives of the banking investment sector of the EU countries. The European Commission will make a big contribution. And it is also expected to offer most of the investments.
Such a forum will be held for the first time in the Central Asian region, but they have been in other states.
«I am sure that European business and financial structures are ready and would like to invest in Kyrgyzstan. There are many reasons for this. First of all, because the Kyrgyz Republic has large hydropower reserves for further development, and with the right investment, the republic has a huge potential for renewable energy. And this is a direction that the EU and private institutions are considering to develop,» Marilyn Josefson said.
