BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, September 20. Kyrgyzstan possesses an annual hydropower potential of approximately 142.5 billion kilowatt-hours but only utilizes up to 13 percent of it, President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov said, Trend reports.
He made this statement during the inaugural C5+1 presidential summit on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, held in New York.
Japarov noted that Kyrgyzstan holds nearly half of the region's water resources and has substantial potential in other forms of renewable energy sources as well.
"In the current year, we have also initiated discussions on restructuring our external national debt, including through mechanisms involving the exchange of debt for projects in the green economy sector. We hope that the US side will assist us in working with our partners and international financial institutions," Japarov emphasized.
He called upon investors, international partners, and financial institutions to engage in investment cooperation for the implementation of projects related to the construction of hydropower plants and other renewable energy facilities in the country.
Japarov stressed that the development of the energy sector and uninterrupted energy supply are vital conditions for the economic stability of any country.
C5+1 is a regional diplomatic platform of the US and the governments of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. This C5+1 format was established in November 2015 to address common security and environmental issues, enhance regional trade, and improve US trade and investment prospects in the region.