EBRD President Suma Chakrabarti will visit the Kyrgyz Republic on 21–24 May 2019 to meet the country’s President, Sooronbay Jeenbekov, and other senior Kyrgyz officials.
During the visit, President Chakrabarti will participate in a number of high-profile events aimed at addressing the implications of climate change for the Kyrgyz Republic. These will include a specialized Water Forum and the launch of the Climate Finance Centre.
The Climate Finance Centre will help mobilise and coordinate investments and associated donor funding aimed at the improvement of climate resilience in sectors like water supply and treatment, power supply, health and food security, disaster risk management and many others.
The Kyrgyz Republic is highly vulnerable to climate risks due to the high frequency of climate-related disasters, its dependency on climate-sensitive economic sectors and its ageing infrastructure.
The EBRD recognises the importance of regular and safe water supply in the Kyrgyz Republic and has already provided over €153 million through 19 water-related projects across the country.
President Chakrabarti will also sign a Memorandum of Understanding for a Green City Action Plan for Bishkek, the country’s capital, and a banking sector transaction with Optima Bank aimed at a further increase in support for small and medium-sized enterprises in in the country.
To date, the EBRD has invested over US$ 825 million in the economy of the Kyrgyz Republic, with a majority of investments supporting private entrepreneurship. In 2018 alone, the Bank signed 16 projects in the country for €37.5 million.
Sources:
EBRD