During the meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states in Bishkek, the head of the Kyrgyz Cabinet, Akylbek Zhaparov, expressed Kyrgyzstan's determination to enhance economic cooperation within the SCO framework.
"The advancement of economic cooperation stands as a foremost agenda item for us. It is crucial to persist in our efforts to bolster collaboration in trade, manufacturing, energy, transportation, investment, finance, agriculture, customs, telecommunications, and various other domains of shared interest. Additionally, we should focus on advancing technologies in the realm of artificial intelligence," he emphasized.
Zhaparov also conveyed his disappointment that the establishment of the SCO Development Bank and Development Fund has not yet been addressed within the organization. He noted, "In our perspective, these institutions would offer direct support for the execution of collaborative projects and facilitate a progressive increase in the use of national currencies for mutual transactions among SCO member states."
The head of the Kyrgyz government emphasized that the republic places significant emphasis on enhancing multifaceted cooperation within the SCO. Kyrgyzstan is committed to cultivating mutually advantageous economic ties with fellow SCO member states and is supportive of all initiatives aimed at enhancing trade and economic collaboration. He underscored the commitment by saying, "Kyrgyzstan's dedication to strengthening cooperation within the SCO is reflected in the statistical data related to our trade turnover."
As Zhaparov assured, the SCO countries accounted for 79% of Kyrgyzstan's total trade turnover in 2022, with exports at 79.5% and imports at 78.8%. He emphasized that foreign trade turnover between the republic and the SCO countries increased by 1.7 times compared to 2021. Furthermore, this robust growth has continued into the current year, with a notable 8.6% increase in foreign trade turnover with the SCO countries during the first seven months of 2023. Additionally, in the first half of 2023, 55% of the total investment inflow into the Kyrgyz Republic originated from SCO member states.
The prime ministers of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, the premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, the deputy chairman of the Cabinet of Turkmenistan, the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan are taking part in the meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: sco-russia2020.ru/Creative Commons 4.0
Based on materials from TASS