Dear citizens of Kyrgyzstan, dear Swiss citizens, dear friends of Switzerland,
I would like to personally welcome you to the website of the Swiss Embassy in Bishkek.
Since I arrived in Kyrgyzstan in August 2021, I have had the pleasure to learn much more about this country and to experience first-hand the outstanding hospitality of its people. If you do not know this country yet, I invite you to come to discover its magnificent mountains, its rich history and cultural diversity and to meet its dynamic business community.
My goal as the Swiss Ambassador in the Kyrgyz Republic is to enhance bilateral relations between our two countries, with political authorities as well as between people; 2022 has been the 30th anniversary of our diplomatic relations; both countries share many characteristics, including breathtaking nature or a diversity of people and culture. Both countries are landlocked, mountainous, with people who love their independence but are open to the world. We also are part of the same group in international institutions.
Switzerland has a large development program in Kyrgyzstan (around 21 million USD per year) and has been and will continue to be active in the fields of health, employment and economic development, water and infrastructure, energy, local governance, climate change and disaster risk reduction. This is detailed in our cooperation program for the years 2022-2025. We want to get closer to the people in the regions, from Batken to Karakol, from Talas to Naryn; I have had the privilege of visiting projects and partners in almost all the regions of the Kyrgyz Republic, to see the benefit of our action for myself.
The Swiss Embassy’s consular department issues biometric Schengen visas to Switzerland, and also accepts applications for the Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Our consular team is committed to providing quality and timely services to its clients. Rules governing the issuance of visas to these partner countries are strict and we are collaborating with the company VFS to ensure that applications are treated as quickly and positively as possible; but as always, the onus is on the requestor to provide a legitimate and complete application in a timely manner.
The Swiss Embassy is supporting cultural events in Kyrgyzstan promoting diversity and intercultural exchange. Among others, we sponsored the Bishkek Jazz Festival, co-organized the Week of the Francophonie with the French Embassy and supported the Bir Düinö Human Rights Film festival.
Over the last 30 years, jointly with the governments and our partners, Switzerland has been able to successfully support development efforts, to improve access to quality public services in particular at the municipal level, to improve the business climate and to support the national budget for health. Switzerland is committed to continue supporting the efforts of the government to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals which seek to improve the life of its citizens, to ensure the ecosystems are preserved, and to promote democracy which is the system of government that the Kyrgyz people have consistently chosen since independence. We do so at local level because we have heard from so many persons and representatives of the authorities how key this level is for the citizens.
I encourage you to consult our website which will provide you with more detailed information. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. The team of the Embassy will be happy to assist you.
Sincerely,
Dr. Olivier Bangerter
Ambassador of Switzerland to the Kyrgyz Republic
