President Zhaparov’s article about relationship and ties between Kyrgyzstan and Russia published

Bishkek, Feb. 19, 2021 / Kabar /. The governmental newspaper "Slovo Kyrgyzstana" published an article by President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Zhaparov "Allied ties" on its Friday issue. The press service of the president said that in his article Zhaparov shared his thoughts on the ties uniting the peoples of Kyrgyzstan and Russia, the role of the Russian language, and the prospects for joint cooperation between the two countries. Sadyr Zhaparov wrote that the cultural and historical parallels of the peoples of Kyrgyzstan and Russia over the centuries have a lot in common. “In the 19th century, joining Russia contributed to the consolidation of the Kyrgyz into a single people and laid the prospects for its further development,” he said in the article stressing the role of Russian scientists who have made an invaluable contribution to the establishment and development of education and science. Zhaparov noted the development of Kyrgyzstan hand in hand with Russia and said that within the fraternal family of the Union republics, with the help of Russia, the foundations of national statehood have matured. The Kyrgyz president wrote that Russian is not only the official language, but also the language of interethnic communication in the country. “It is well protected at the legislative level, its status is enshrined in our Constitution, and I, as President and guarantor of human and civil rights and freedoms, are resolutely opposed to any attempts of political manipulation in this matter,” he said. At the same time, Zhaparov noted the need for additional study of foreign languages, especially English. He also proposed to extend the dates for the Cross Year on behalf of the multinational people of Kyrgyzstan as the pandemic has made its own sudden adjustments to joint plans, and not everything that was conceived came true and expressed confidence that his proposal will be supported by the Russian government. “2020, declared the Cross Year of Russia and Kyrgyzstan, has become another incentive for the further development of relations between our countries. The goals of more than 200 events included in its program were to intensify bilateral interaction and develop direct friendly contacts between citizens of our countries,” the Kyrgyz president stressed. Zhaparov emphasized that for Kyrgyzstan the issue of the place and role of Russia is not theoretical, but quite practical. “The interest in close cooperation is largely determined by our national interests. As you know, they are associated with the further strengthening of the state sovereignty of the Kyrgyz Republic, ensuring security, preserving interethnic peace and harmony, stimulating the development of the spiritual and humanitarian spheres in the country,” he wrote. President Zhaparov highlighted that in the history of relations between the Kyrgyz and Russian peoples, there have never been problems that could create preconditions for mutual alienation. “The course to bring relations with Russia to the highest level of alliance, strategic partnership meets the national interests of Kyrgyzstan. We are convinced that there is no alternative to strengthening cooperation, and this area is given a key place in the republic's foreign policy,” the Kyrgyz president wrote in his article. He also wrote that thanks to integration projects and its power, Russia provides peace along the perimeter of the state border, forms a dynamically developing region around itself. At the end of his article President Zhaparov expressed confidence that his upcoming visit to Russia will help strengthen relations between the countries and develop cooperation in all areas of mutual interest.