BISHKEK, February 13, 2013 – Laura Tuck, World Bank Vice President for Europe and Central Asia, today completed her visit to the Kyrgyz Republic. The aim of her visit was to discuss with the country’s leadership – Parliamentary Speaker Asylbek Jeenbekov, First Deputy Prime Minister Djoomart Otorbayev, and other senior government officials – the ongoing partnership between the World Bank and the Kyrgyz Republic.
In the meeting with Parliamentary Speaker Asylbek Jeenbekov, Ms. Tuck expressed the World Bank’s commitment to the strong partnership with the Kyrgyz Republic and noted the Bank’s full support for the 2013-2017 National Sustainable Development Strategy. Ms. Tuck also underscored that the Bank values the ongoing dialogue with Kyrgyz parliamentarians and supported the Speaker’s initiative of establishing a platform for collaboration between the Parliament and international development partners.
During the meeting with First Deputy Prime Minister Djoomart Otorbaev, Ms. Tuck noted that the World Bank’s partnership with the Kyrgyz Republic will focus on support for governance reforms and congratulated Mr. Otorbaev on the development of the Public Sector Reform Roadmap, which addresses key governance constraints. Discussing the partnership between the Kyrgyz Republic and the World Bank, Djoomart Otorbaev said: “We are very interested in improving the position of our country in the rankings of the World Bank and other respectable international organizations, because we are accountable to our citizens. Implementing reforms that are aimed at improving the lives of the Kyrgyz people, putting a lot of efforts into this work, it is essential for us to get assurance from independent organizations that we are on the right path”.
“I am delighted to have the opportunity to visit the Kyrgyz Republic and would like to sincerely thank our counterparts for the fruitful discussions and gracious hospitality,” said Laura Tuck. “The World Bank is committed to strengthening its partnership with the Kyrgyz Republic and supporting the country’s efforts to fight corruption, improve service delivery, and achieve energy security, with a view to improving the lives of the Kyrgyz citizens.”
Laura Tuck’s visit to the Kyrgyz Republic concludes her week-long trip to Central Asia, during which she also visited Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan. She assumed the post of the World Bank Vice President for Europe and Central Asia in September 2013.
The World Bank’s overall mission in the Kyrgyz Republic is to reduce poverty and to promote economic growth and shared prosperity. Forty-five percent of the World Bank’s assistance to the Kyrgyz Republic is in the form of grants. The other 55 percent is in highly concessional credits, which are free of interest and carry only a service charge of 0.75 percent. Credits are repayable in 40 years, including a 10-year grace period when no payments are due, while grants require no repayment. The World Bank’s total financing to the Kyrgyz Republic since 1992 amounts to over US$1 billion.
