Atambayev glad Kyrgyz-Russian relations have moved from mutual reproaches to understanding
MOSCOW. June 20 (Interfax) - Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev believes that bilateral cooperation with Russia in the past few years has moved from mistrust to relations of strategic partnership.
"I am glad that from some mistrust and mutual reproaches our relations have transited to mutual understanding and reached a new level of relations of strategic partnership," he said at wide-format talks with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
"Our relations became especially deep after Kyrgyzstan's accession to the Eurasian Economic Union," he said. "At our meeting on a limited scale we said that despite the gloomy forecasts accession gave Kyrgyzstan economic growth, money transfers increased and ordinary people working here felt how much easier it became to work," Atambayev said.
He also pointed to the successful work of the Kyrgyz-Russian development fund and the intergovernmental commission "which are helping Kyrgyzstan in all respects."
"The cultural and humanitarian spheres should not be forgotten either," he said adding that Kyrgyzstan looks forward to Russian scientists arriving for the forum on Altai civilization on July 20.
"It is high time for everyone to remember that Russia is the ancestral homeland not only for Kyrgyzstan but many other peoples. We have a very long-standing history and it should be cherished in order to build a common future," Atambayev said.
He said that when he placed flowers to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier he thought that "this may be my grand-uncle Kulmambet Atambayev who died somewhere here in the forests of Russia, we don't know where he is buried, but it is our common history and we have a common future."