Bern, Press releases, 30.06.2009

On 30 June President Merz received the Kyrgyz Prime Minister Igor Chudinov for a courtesy call in Bern. Chudinov subsequently also met Micheline Calmy-Rey, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) and Martin Dahinden, Director-General of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). In addition, Prime Minister Chudinov signed up to a project on business development in the textile sector with the State Secretary for Economic Affairs Jean-Daniel Gerber.

The meeting between President Merz and Prime Minister Chudinov took place in a friendly and constructive atmosphere. Both dialogue partners praised the excellent relations between Switzerland and the Kyrgyz Republic. Discussions focussed on cooperation between the two countries in the Bretton Woods Institutions, along with bilateral relations. In the International Monetary Fund, Switzerland and Kyrgyzstan belong to the same constituency. In addition current topics such as the financial crisis and Swiss development cooperation in Kyrgyzstan were discussed.

Federal Councillor Calmy-Rey conducted an exchange of views with Prime Minister Chudinov on the situation in Central Asia. The Director-General of the SDC, Martin Dahinden, outlined the various joint projects with Kyrgyzstan.

The State Secretary for Economic Affairs, Jean-Daniel Gerber, signed up to a project on business development with the Kyrgyz Prime Minister in the textile sector. The aim of the project is the sustainable expansion and diversification of exports from small and medium-sized enterprises. Along with support at the institutional level, activities such as the introduction of quality standards for productions processes, improving finished products and the marketing thereof, taking part in international fairs and promoting contacts between buyers and suppliers are amongst those activities which this project will tackle.

The cooperation project is being carried out jointly with the International Trade Centre (ITC) in Geneva and will run up until 2012. The cost of the project is USD 1.85 million.


Further information:

State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO - Economic Cooperation and Development - Kyrgyz Republic
SDC - Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation - Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan)


Address for enquiries:

Roland Meier, FDF Press Officer, tel. 031 322 60 86
Hans-Peter Egler, SECO, tel. +41 (0)79 407 84 67 SECO, Head of Trade Promotion, Economic Cooperation and Development


Publisher:

Federal Department of Finance
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research

Last update 19.07.2023

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