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BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Oct 31, 2002
Excerpt of report by Kyrgyz public educational TV on 31 October

Kyrgyz president, Aga Khan discuss investment

[Presenter] Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev met Prince Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of the Ismaili, Shia Muslims, today. A new agreement on economic cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and the Aga Khan foundation was signed at the end of the talks.

[Correspondent] The agreement was signed following talks between a delegation, led by Aga Khan, and the Kyrgyz leadership. Askar Akayev said that the agreement would promote the country's economic development because it has been aimed at strengthening the financial sector and developing services and the tourism sector. The Aga Khan foundation will fund the private businesses and small and medium-size businesses.

[Akayev] We are making every effort to attract direct foreign investment. However, we have not achieved great success over the past few years. According to this agreement, the Aga Khan foundation may become a catalyst for the influx of direct foreign investment and a driving force behind it.

[Correspondent] Prince Aga Khan spoke about the Global Mountain Summit. In his opinion, the main result was the fact that the summit managed to attract the entire world's attention to problems of highlands.

[Aga Khan in English overlaid by correspondent] If we remember clearly where all the investment is channelled to, we find that they are channelled into developing all the regions, except the mountainous regions. The mountains have been forgotten for some reason.

[Passage omitted: further on mountains and visit]

Source: Public Educational Radio and TV, Bishkek, in Russian 1530 gmt 31 Oct 02

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BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom;
Nov 01, 2002

Kyrgyz governor, Aga Khan moot development of mountainous areas

Bishkek, 31 October: The spiritual leader of the Ismaili Muslims, Prince Aga Khan, and [southern] Osh Region's governor, Naken Kasiyev, have discussed an integrated programme on development. As Prince Aga Khan noted, his organization [the Aga Khan foundation] intends to begin the implementation of the programme in Alay and Chon Alay districts in Osh Region. This will benefit 90,000 people who live in the remote mountainous areas. The programme will strengthen organizations at the rural level and will mainly focus on improving the living standards of the most needy families in this part of Central Asia. Close attention will be given to animal husbandry and growing potatoes. The other part of the programme will be devoted to providing services in the health, education, and management sectors, and also to meet the needs of school curricula, investment potential in small and medium-sized enterprises and micro financing.

Kasiyev hailed the initiative and on behalf of the region and the government thanked Aga Khan for his attention to the most acute needs experienced by the poorest communities in the region.

Source: Kabar news agency, Bishkek, in Russian 1520 gmt 31 Oct 02