Kabar News Agency publishes the interview with Ambassador of Switzerland to the Kyrgyz Republic Mr. Olivier Bangerter on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Switzerland and Kyrgyzstan.
1. Mr. Ambassador, let me first congratulate you on today's anniversary - 30 years of diplomatic relations between Kyrgyzstan and Switzerland. What is the current level of Kyrgyz-Swiss relations and how would you describe the dynamics of cooperation?
The relations are good and the dynamic of cooperation is constructive. Switzerland and Kyrgyzstan share a number of commonalities that help us understand each other. One of them is that we are both mountainous countries; this has shaped our culture in ways that are often similar.
In many parts of Switzerland like in many parts of Kyrgyzstan, farmers bring their cattle up to the mountains for the summer and down to the valley for winter. It is a life where people had to develop qualities of resilience. But we are also both diverse countries; I myself do not come from a mountain area, but from an area not unlike the northern shore of Lake Issyk Kul. The northern shore of Lake Geneva is a region where we grow a lot of fruits and especially grapes: as a student I spent some of my holidays harvesting, which is a back-breaking work. When I visited Issyk Kul oblast in December, we stopped to meet a farmer who is growing apples. The landscape and the challenges of this production reminded me of my own experience; the main difference for the workers is that you harvest apples standing up, which is much better for your back. This is just a personal example, but I think that people living in Switzerland and people living in Kyrgyzstan might relate to such experiences.
Kyrgyzstan and Switzerland also support each other in all sorts of manners. In the World Bank board, Switzerland is representing Kyrgyzstan and a number of other countries from Central Asia and Eastern Europe. This allows all of our voices to be heard better than if we were simply talking individually. In the context of the United Nations, Switzerland is part of the Global Mountain Partnership and an active member of the New-York-based “Group of Friends on Mountainous Countries” chaired by the Kyrgyz Republic. This shows that our friendship and support goes both ways.
2. Since independence the total amount of Swiss assistance to Kyrgyzstan has exceeded CHF 450 million. What are the priority areas of cooperation and what are the results of the projects financed with Swiss support?
Also thanks to Swiss support, the Kyrgyz authorities were provided with infrastructure that they now maintain and operate themselves, which improved the living conditions of the local population. The Embassy estimates that 1.5 million inhabitants, i.e. one person out of four in the country, receive better drinking water and sanitation services thanks to all the projects supported by Switzerland.
The first project I was invited to visit was the laying of a new waste water pipe in Bishkek leading to the city’s water treatment plant. This is co-funded through a loan by the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development and a grant by Switzerland. The project not only improved the infrastructure: it will also strengthen the managerial capacities of the water utility. We have done similar projects with other providers of public utility services. I could see myself the results of our support in the city of Karakol, but our support has also benefitted other cities, for example Bishkek, Osh (with a refurbished waste water treatment plant), Jalal-Abad, Kant, and now Naryn.
Another area where we can clearly see Swiss assistance globally is the support to small and medium enterprises (companies). A minimum of 3’500Kyrgyz small and medium enterprises have benefitted from Swiss-sponsored projects. When you take into account all persons who are or have been employed by these companies over the years, this is a huge number. Most companies survive over the years and are able to employ staff and therefore provide families with income.
Recently, when I went to Dordoi market, I visited two of these companies in the garment industry. It is impressive to see that from modest beginnings, they have both been able to position themselves in the Russian market, thanks also to the support provided by Switzerland. One of these companies started by producing around 300 pieces a month and their objective for 2022 is around 20’000. I wish them best success and prosperity!
3. This year the new Cooperation Program will be launched between Kyrgyzstan and Switzerland for 2022-2025, which has been presented by you in October 2021. What are the priority areas of cooperation in this program?
The new Cooperation Program targets three areas, which are the same for Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The first one is water, infrastructure and climate change. This has a regional component as well: the large rivers Sir Darya and Amu Darya and their tributaries connect the countries of Central Asia. Climate change, as we can witness with the droughts that have plagued Kyrgyzstan in recent years, is a challenge that does not stop at the border. Switzerland has provided several important contributions to the Green Climate Fund, to which Kyrgyzstan also has access. We have worked on the management of water in several basins, notably those of the rivers Chu and Talas. This has also links with what is happening in Kazakhstan. We have supported the refurbishment of infrastructure in various parts of the country, for instance the rehabilitation of the At Bashy hydropower plant.
The second area is inclusive and sustainable economic development. Although we have already achieved quite a lot, there are still areas where we can contribute usefully.In particular, Switzerland will continue to support small and medium companies so they have the necessary means and conditions in order to be successful and provide added value for Kyrgyzstan as a whole.
The third area is governance, human rights and access to services. We have supported local self-governance mechanisms that the law established and cultural events such as the Jazz Festival. I am particularly proud of our support to the Central Election Commission and the OSCE observation mission during the recent parliamentary elections. But the main area where Swiss support is known is the health sector. We will continue to work with the Ministry of Health on the training of managers of health facilities. These people have a direct impact on the quality of health care in hospitals and clinics.
All in all, the plan is to spend a bit more than 20 million USD per year until 2025 in Kyrgyzstan alone, making sure that projects are supported in all parts of the country.
4. If we are talking about our region, what is Switzerland's foreign policy in Central Asia? In your opinion, what are the most promising areas for the development of Kyrgyz-Swiss relations in particular?
The common membership in the constituencies in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB), the Bretton-Woods-Institutions (BWI),is a very important pillar of the relations of Switzerland with the countries of Central Asia and beyond. Kyrgyzstan is among the first countries to join the Swiss Constituencies at the IMF and WB in 1992.Switzerlandalso represents Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Serbia, and Poland in its voting groups. As you know, the IMF and World Bank are key institutions in the international financial architecture. Both institutions provided substantial financial and technical support to the development and transition processes in Central Asia, including Kyrgyzstan.
Further, Switzerland chairs a constituency at the Global Environment Facility (GEF), which includes Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. In the European Bank for Development and Reconstruction (EBRD), finally, Switzerland represents through another common constituency the interests of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Ukraine and Liechtenstein. Switzerland thanks for the trust that those constituencies members placed in her.
Beyond our relations within the international institutions, Switzerland invests considerably in the bilateral cooperation with Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, where Switzerland plans to spend altogether CHF 233 Mio over the 2022–2025 period. The priorities, as already mentioned above, are: water infrastructure and climate change; governance, human rights and access to services; and inclusive and sustainable economic development, including the development of a safe and skilled labor migration.
All in all, Switzerland plays a double role in this region: it is a donor country and, at the same time, it represents the interests of receiving countries in the major international financial institutions. This approach shall be pursued in the future.
5. As you know, last year Kyrgyzstan celebrated the 30th anniversary of its independence. What achievements do you think Kyrgyzstan can be proud of?
As a newly arrived ambassador, my second day in office was Kyrgyzstan’s National Day – it was a unique experience to be present at such a historic moment, celebrating 30 years of independence. From the very beginning of my stay in your beautiful country, what strikes me is the number of people who told me about the good quality of the relation between both our countries. We have reached many results together and enjoy friendly relations. We have supported each other in the international arena and continue to do so. I am also delighted to see the excellent cooperation on development projects we have with various ministries and organizations and I will do my best to keep up the good work.
Kabar News Agency
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