Kyrgyzstan interested in restoring economic ties with Russia

A group of Cabinet members and directors of major Kyrgyz enterprisescompleted their four-day session in the Siberian federal district. Themembers of the delegation visited Novosibirsk, Barnaul, Kemerovo and Tomsk.Several preliminary agreements were reached, Kyrgyz Ambassador to RussiaKemelbek Nanayev declared at a press conference in Novosibirsk. Inparticular, there are plans to get the Novosibirsk tin plant involved inthe development of tin deposits in Kyrgyzstan and have the Tomskpetrochemical plant supply plastic to this country. According to the Ambassador, Kyrgyzstan would like to restore economic tieswith Russia that were lost after the USSR's collapse. He was quoted assaying that even though Russia is still the number one economic partner ofKyrgyzstan (20 percent of the country's foreign trade turnover), "they tendto reduce now" and Bishkek (the capital of Kyrgyzstan) doesn't like it. In addition, members of the delegation proposed to Siberian enterprises topurchase resort hotels and health resorts on the lake of Issyk Kul. "Majorenterprises of the Siberian federal district will send theirrepresentatives to Kyrgyzstan at the end of September to hold furthertalks," the diplomat remarked. Minister for Foreign Trade and Industries of the Republic of KyrgyzstanSidriddin Dzhienbekov, Deputy Agriculture Minister Tajimat Shaboltayev andother officials were involved in the discussion of the perspectives ofcollaboration as well. .