11:49 - 16.10.2024

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October 16, Fineko/abc.az. Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov said that his country cannot refuse to cooperate with Russia for a number of reasons, including economic ones. As an example, he pointed out that Kyrgyzstan's trade turnover with Russia exceeds $4 bn.

ABC.AZ reports that Zhaparov recalled that the country buys Russian oil, gas, wheat and other food products. In addition, Kyrgyz "roads and railways to peace pass through Russia", and there are about 1 million Kyrgyz migrants in Russia.

"Of course, there are Western countries that ask us not to cooperate with Russia. However, I always answer them openly and sincerely: "We cannot refuse to cooperate with Russia»," he said in an interview with Kyrgyz state agency Kabar.

Zhaparov expressed the opinion that the West should not tell Bishkek whether to cooperate with Moscow. In his opinion, European countries "say one thing, but do another".

In September, at the Kyrgyz-Russian economic forum, Kyrgyz Prime Minister Akylbek Zhaparov announced plans to increase trade between the countries from $3 bn to $5 bn a year.