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.