The two-day visit of the Federal Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland Mr. Ignazio Cassis to Kyrgyzstan provided an opportunity to strengthen cooperation ties with the Kyrgyz Republic.
On 3 July, the President of the Kyrgyz Republic H.E. Mr. Sadyr Japarov received the Swiss Minister Mr. Ignazio Cassis at the State Residence in Cholpon-Ata. They discussed collaboration issues, exchanged opinions, and agreed to strengthen cooperation ties for the benefit of people in Kyrgyzstan. The sides emphasized their mutual commitment to deepen the relations for future progress.
On the same day, the Swiss Minister met the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic Mr. Jeenbek Kulubaev. The two sides discussed bilateral relations and the positive results of projects supported by Switzerland and implemented in Kyrgyzstan. They both agreed to intensify collaboration.
In the evening of the same day, the Swiss Embassy organized a Reception on the occasion of the visit of Mr. Cassis and of the Swiss National Day. Among the around 200 guests, there were representatives of Kyrgyz authorities, embassies, international organizations, civil society, mass media, sports associations, cultural entities, universities, and Swiss citizens. In his welcoming speech, Mr. Cassis highlighted the similarities between Kyrgyzstan and Switzerland.
During the mission, Mr. Cassis familiarized himself with the progress of the Swiss projects implemented in Kyrgyzstan for over 500 million USD since 1994. Switzerland has a large development program in the country in such domains as economic development; governance; water and infrastructure; and many more. Minister Cassis accessed the impact of the Swiss projects and shared his ideas with the Embassy staff.
Minister Cassis had the chance to discover the natural beauty of Kyrgyzstan, including Issyk-Kul Lake, mountains, and glaciers. In addition, he visited the open-air museum of petroglyphs in Cholpon-Ata and was delighted to visit one of the country’s biggest collections of stone drawings. Also, he admired Burana Tower, a reminder of the long history of the Silk Road and Kyrgyzstan’s place on it. For Mr. Cassis, seeing the hometown of Yusuf Balasaguni was an impressive historical touch.
The visit of Ignazio Cassis to Kyrgyzstan was fruitful. He thanked the Swiss Embassy’s team for their engagement in fostering good relations with the country.
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