Kyrgyz interim gov't leaders meet EBRD officials on aid, cooperation

Leaders of the Kyrgyz interim government have met with representatives from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development( EBRD) to discuss issues such as assistance and construction projects, the official Kabar news agency reported Thursday.

During the meeting on Wednesday, Prime Minister of the interim government Roza Otunbayeva thanked EBRD for its readiness to offer concrete aid to ensure social and economic stability in the country after the April 7 unrest.

Otunbayeva hailed as a major event the setting up of a special international committee to handle assistance to Kyrgyzstan, proposed by EBRD president.

Meanwhile, First Deputy Prime Minister of the interim government Almazbek Atambayev said his government had already started consultations with international organizations to solve the country's social and economic problems at an early date.

On the construction of Osh-Batken-Isfana road in southwest Kyrgyzstan, a high priority project for EBRD, which is expected to last for four years, he said the road means a lot to the 400,000 residents in the Batken region.

Kyrgyzstan looks forward to better cooperation with EBRD, which it regards as an important partner, Atambayev added.

Oliver Descamps, head of the EBRD delegation and the bank's managing director for Turkey, Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia, said EBRD also considered Kyrgyzstan an important partner and would provide all necessary assistance to feasible projects in Kyrgyzstan.

Source:Xinhua