BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 4. Switzerland is in
the process of developing the next cooperation strategy with
Kyrgyzstan, which is expected to be finalized this year, Olivier
Bangerter, Ambassador of Switzerland to Kyrgyzstan, told Trend in an interview.

“It will be clearer what kind of projects in the energy sector
Switzerland will support after the approval of the strategy for the
next 4 years. Nevertheless, we can already mention that Switzerland
remains committed to supporting the Kyrgyz government towards
reforms in the energy sector, and we have some concrete ideas that
it is a bit too early to mention,” he said.

Regarding the Kambarata HPP-1 construction, the ambassador said
that Switzerland currently has no plans to provide infrastructure
investments in the construction of this power plant but will
support Swiss companies who would be interested.

The ambassador noted that relations between Switzerland and
Kyrgyzstan are strong, as demonstrated by the successful visit of
Switzerland’s Foreign Minister, Federal Councilor Ignazio Cassis,
in July 2024.

According to the ambassador, the meetings between Cassis,
President Sadyr Zhaparov, and Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubaev
during his visit were highly significant. In his speech, Cassis
emphasized that Kyrgyzstan remains a priority country for
Switzerland, particularly in terms of cooperation. High-level
exchanges are expected to continue.

“Since independence in 1991, we have invested more than $520
million in Kyrgyzstan for development cooperation; this is more
than $20 million per year (usually we receive an exact figure in
spring for the previous year). Another sign of our commitment is
last spring’s high-level visit from representatives of our two
development agencies who went to visit Alai and Chon Alai
districts, as well as the city of Naryn and At Bashy hydropower
plant,” he said.

The ambassador also noted that Kyrgyzstan and Switzerland
support each other in the UN and other international
organizations.

“We have close cooperation when it comes to the World Bank and
the International Monetary Fund because we are part of the same
voting group. This might seem technical, but it is actually very
simple. There are two hundred countries in the world, and they
cannot have their voices heard individually in such institutions,
so we group together. Kyrgyzstan and Switzerland share the same
group. It allows all of us to have a stronger voice and be better
heard,” he said.

Bangerter mentioned that there are many achievements. A quarter
of a million farmers in Kyrgyzstan, 250,000 people, have gained
improved access to water and irrigation thanks to Swiss programs
and cooperation since independence in 1991.

“We are also working with the Ministry of Emergency Situations
and the World Food Programme on the issue of preventing and
responding to natural disasters. Sadly, in 2024, Kyrgyzstan
experienced numerous mudflows, which resulted in significant loss
of life and widespread property damage. Therefore, it seems that
this area of cooperation will become even more crucial. We hope to
expand it through exchanges between our urban search and rescue
teams, who are deployed in areas affected by earthquakes,” he
said.

Bangerter emphasized that over the years, hundreds of thousands
of people in Kyrgyzstan have gained better access to their local
authorities with Switzerland’s assistance. Swiss-backed initiatives
have also helped municipalities plan more effectively, especially
in areas such as waste collection and road construction.

Additionally, the Swiss government has supported 3,500 small and
medium-sized enterprises in Kyrgyzstan over the years of
cooperation.

“Around half of these 3,500 have gained better access to
international markets in sectors like textiles, tourism, and more,”
Bangerter said.

The ambassador highlighted several projects well-known in
Kyrgyzstan, implemented with Switzerland’s assistance. One of these
is the renovation of the At-Bashy hydropower plant in the Naryn
region, which has significantly extended the plant’s lifespan.

In addition, Switzerland has expressed its readiness to provide
a $20 million grant to improve access to drinking water in
Kyrgyzstan.

As the ambassador explained, this is part of a much bigger
project that will enhance the access to water and sanitation by
establishing a new sector of professional water service providers
in the rural area and by building their capacities. This
institutional reform will be supported by the Swiss grant.
Additional investments will be made by the World Bank in the
construction and upgrade of water supply systems and sanitation
infrastructure in unserved and underserved settlements. The project
starts working from February this year.

“The project will help around 450,000 people in more than 120
rural villages and small towns in the Chuy, Issyk-Kul, and Osh
regions of Kyrgyzstan. Around 19,000 people will benefit from
household sanitation interventions. Approximately 115,000 people
(mostly children) will directly benefit from investments in
sanitation facilities and associated hygiene and behavior change,”
he said.

The ambassador noted that there has been a steady increase in
trade turnover over the past four years. Most of this trade is
gold. The National Bank of Kyrgyzstan is selling gold on
international markets through an institution in Switzerland and
using the hard currency to do two very important things for the
Kyrgyz economy. One is to make sure that the som keeps its value
(there is always a fluctuation) so that som remains stable, and it
works very well. The other is to repay balance of trade deficit of
Kyrgyzstan to the IMF.

“This is very important, and I’m very happy that the National
Bank chooses a Swiss financial institution to help them market the
gold. To develop it further, I think the distance between the two
countries is problematic. There are a number of Swiss companies
that are looking into the Kyrgyz market but are unconvinced when
they see the logistic costs, the costs of transporting material
from Switzerland; this is a big hurdle and one that is difficult to
eliminate. Obviously, the Swiss Embassy will help Swiss companies
as much as we can,” he said.

About future cooperation, Bangerter said that the priorities of
the Swiss cooperation program should remain more or less the same:
working with small and medium enterprises, water and energy
infrastructure, preventing natural disasters, and helping local
governance.

“We plan to continue our work at the same level, though we may
slightly change our focus with our new cooperation strategy. But
anyway, Kyrgyzstan will remain a priority country for Switzerland.
I have only a few months left here in Kyrgyzstan, but I really want
to make the most of it. I want to work on our bilateral relations
and leave the relationship in a better state than I found it. This
is the role of an ambassador,” he concluded.