Speaker of the Zhogorku Kenesh of Kyrgyzstan Nurlanbek Turgunbek uulu met with the Chairman of the State Duma of Russia Vyacheslav Volodin, who arrived in Kyrgyzstan for an official visit.
Nurlanbek Turgunbek uulu expressed the interest of the Kyrgyz Republic in further developing the existing partnership with the Russian Federation as one of the key strategic allies, noting that such meetings contribute to the deepening of bilateral relations.
«Our interaction reaches a new level from year to year, and the official visits of the heads of state that took place in 2023 became an important stage in strengthening the partnership. In this regard, we need to intensify inter-parliamentary ties, since parliamentary diplomacy plays a special role in strengthening interstate relations,» he said.
According to the Speaker of the Zhogorku Kenesh, the dialogue between the Parliament and the State Duma is actively developing on international platforms. As an example, he cited the interaction within the framework of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly and the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly.
Nurlanbek Turgunbek uulu reported that by the end of last year, the volume of trade between the states reached $3.5 billion. «We have great opportunities. In the near future, we must deepen trade ties and increase the volume of trade to $5 billion. To do this, it is necessary to intensify the interaction of business circles and entrepreneurs of our countries. In particular, we are interested in working closely with Russian investors and implementing joint projects,» he noted.
The parties also discussed issues of cultural and humanitarian cooperation, in particular in the field of education. At present, 16,000 Kyrgyz students are studying at leading universities in Russia. In addition, with the support of the Russian side, nine modern schools are being built in the Kyrgyz Republic.
Touching upon the current situation in the sphere of migration, the Speaker of the Zhogorku Kenesh stressed the importance of providing benefits and certain preferences for Kyrgyzstanis, given the republic’s membership in the EAEU and the status of the Russian Federation as the main partner. He paid special attention to the issues of protecting the rights of labor migrants and jointly combating illegal actions.
In turn, Vyacheslav Volodin noted that such meetings not only expand inter-parliamentary cooperation, but also contribute to strengthening interstate relations in general.
He confirmed Russia’s interest in developing cooperation with Kyrgyzstan in all areas. «In particular, it is necessary to strengthen trade and economic ties and develop a partnership based on mutual interests,» the Chairman of the State Duma said, also pointing out the need to consider migration issues within the framework of the inter-parliamentary commission with the participation of relevant departments in order to develop bilateral solutions in this direction.
