Saint Petersburg, Russia: Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with President of Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Atambayev on the sidelines of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday.
According to official media, the two leaders discussed current issues in bilateral cooperation and Kyrgyzstan’s accession to the Eurasian Economic Union.
President Vladimir Putin during meeting said that Kyrgyzstan was an important partner and ally for Russia in Central Asia. Russian-Kyrgyzstani relations were developing.
“Right now, we are in the process of making a very important decision on Kyrgyzstan’s accession to the Eurasian Economic Union. For our part, we will do everything to ensure that the necessary formal procedures are completed as soon as possible. We are confident that Kyrgyzstan will do the same. I would like to once again thank you for your participation in the events honouring the 70th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. And I would like to note that in addition to developing political relations and integration processes, Russia also remains Kyrgyzstan’s leading trade and economic partner: the share of Russian participation in Kyrgyzstan’s turnover is 27.6%”, said Putin.
In response, the President of Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Atambayev said:
“It is always a pleasure for me to meet with you, even during a discussion of the most difficult and unpleasant issues. I can feel how all of this is happening in a friendly, brotherly tone. I am also very grateful for your warm words today. You just said that Kyrgyzstan is Russia’s most important ally in Central Asia, and I would like to tell you that it is the most reliable, as well. We hope that the parliaments of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan will ratify the agreement on our accession to the Eurasian Economic Union by the end of June; Armenia has already been ratified. And I hope that by July 1, we will become a full-fledged member of this economic union.
