Almazbek Atambayev: We have to return $ 37 million to silence RusHydro

«We have to return $ 37 million to silence RusHydro," President of Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Atambayev said at a press conference today.

«I have already got used to it that, on the least occasion, the whole pack at once starts throwing mud at Atambayev. They start saying that we should not hurry, we should not terminated the agreement with Russia and RusHydro. We correctly terminated agreement with Russia. I saw it for myself that Russian companies were not going to build the Upper Naryn cascade and Kambar-Ata 1," the President said.

He also added that the first agreement on Kambar-Ata 1 was signed in the 1990s, but the plant was never built. The head of state is sure that this will not continue like this.

«As for the Czechs, I can say that some fellows are afraid that this project will be implemented. The agreement is good. It is absolutely successful for Kyrgyzstan. It is much better than with RusHydro. After the shareholders of the National Energy Holding approve this agreement on August 4, within a month the Czechs will have to pay $ 37 million to silence RusHydro. Some are afraid that the project will be implemented, because Atambayev’s projects have been implemented so far," Almazbek Atambayev commented on the scandal over Liglass Trading.

«There were a lot of talks that the company has no experience. It did not build any stations. The investor should have money, it is important for Kyrgyzstan. And there are people wishing to build it. We have such companies, in Russia, in China. It is necessary not to hurry to bury Atambayev and this project. I think if they pay $ 37 million, they will prove that they are serious investors. If they do not pay, then we will look for another investor," he concluded.