A round-table discussion 'Russian-Kyrgyz relations as a factor of sustainable development' was held on the basis of the South Ural State University in Chelyabinsk. The event was organized by the Foundation for Socio-Economic Development 'Eurasian Commonwealth', and this is a new important trend in the development of cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and Russia – civil society institutions are increasingly taking the lead in expert events, meetings between scientists, business representatives and youth organizations of the two countries. And another important point is that not only Moscow, but also Russian regions are actively developing cooperation with their counterparts from the countries of Central Asia, with the most active cooperation developing in the Kazakh and Kyrgyz direction.
And this time the round-table was attended not only by the representatives of the authorities of the Chelyabinsk region, but also by experts from Kyrgyzstan and Moscow, scientists, professors, students and diaspora structures.
One of the main topics for discussion at the expert meeting was the upcoming parliamentary elections in early October in Jogorku Kenesh. Kyrgyzstan is the region's first parliamentary republic, so there is nothing surprising about the fact that so much attention of the international expert community focused on this event – the sustainability of the main political institutions of the Kyrgyz Republic depends on how professional the new parliament will be, which is perhaps the most important factor of stability under conditions of growing external risks for the region.
According to opinion polls, the Kyrgyz people expect solutions to the country's most pressing issues from the parliamentarians, such as deepening of the Eurasian integration for Kyrgyzstan and strengthening of all areas of Russian-Kyrgyz cooperation.
As one of the organizers of the conference, the President of the Eurasian Commonwealth, Victor Katochkov, pointed out that "Kyrgyzstan and Russia are strategic partners and allies both in economics and politics, as well as in dealing with pressing security problems. This is a broad, multidisciplinary collaboration which was especially active for the past four years."
It should be noted that the experts from Russia and Kyrgyzstan unanimously noted that the Eurasian course of Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev is supported by the overwhelming majority of the population. About 80% of Kyrgyz citizens connect their hopes for a better life with the development of integration processes in the economy and social sphere. There is an opportunity to modernize production facilities due to the integration course of the country's leadership, and this question has been a stumbling block for the entire economic system of Kyrgyzstan for the past ten years.
It is no coincidence that the Eurasian theme is so well represented in the programs of the political parties in Kyrgyzstan, such as the Social Democratic Party. This fact testifies to the public's demand for the development of integration formats and further strengthening of allied relations with Russia and other states of the EEU.
The speeches of the participants from Kyrgyzstan, including the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Almaz Nasyrov, were also devoted to the problem of interfacing the development prospects of the country with the participation of Kyrgyzstan in the Eurasian integration project. It is no coincidence that the speakers focused not only on the purely economic side of the issue, but also on the social and humanitarian aspects of the participation of Kyrgyzstan in the EEU.
The opportunity to address the problems of migrants, to improve the quality of human and management capital appears largely due to the policy of the current leadership of the country. An important role in this process is played by the interaction of higher educational institutions of Russia and Kyrgyzstan. The representatives of the South Urals universities and diaspora structures spoke about specific projects in this field. In particular, Z. Bakirova, who made a report on the activities of the Kyrgyz National Cultural Autonomy in the Southern Urals: challenges, opportunities and prospects".
Is there a need for the selection of an expert format of the Russian-Kyrgyz dialogue? In the opinion of all the participants, the answer is obvious – the interaction of the expert community, intellectuals and young people of both countries creates a solid foundation for intergovernmental dialogue, which has become active and focused on practical solutions in recent years.
