Kyrgyzstan offers Samruk Kazyna investment opportunities

Kyrgyzstan offered the Kazakh delegation of Samruk Kazyna Sovereign Wealth Fund representatives to participate in a project to construct the Datka –Kemin power line mainly designed to export power to Kazakhstan, Tengrinews.kz reports. Besides, at today’s meeting of the Kyrgyz Government with the Kazakh delegation the sides discussed a possible joint investment fund of $100 million. The official Bishkek also suggested Kazakhstan participate in a project to launch Taldybulak-Levoberezhnyi gold mine. “We are ready to hire staff, look for a premises as it is an important initiative to develop cooperation between the two nations, benefitting from the export potential and young labour force of Kyrgyzstan. Our representatives will proceed with bringing the agreements through”, Aidan Karibzhanov, Vice Chiarman of the Board at Samruk said. The banking sector of Kyrgyzstan was of special interest to the Kazakh delegation. According to Mr. Karibzhanov, Kazakhstan is interested in expanding its presence in the Kyrgyz banking sector and Kazakh banks are ready to invest. In his turn, Kyrgyz First Vice Prime Minister Omurbek Babanov said that Kyrgyzstan is ready to buy residual fuel, coal and gas from Kazakhstan. “We are interested in Kazakhstan’s gas (…) our major supplier is UzTransGas [of Uzbekistan]. And the issue of pricing raises many debates. The debates escalate in winter period when we need gas supplies badly”, Babanov said. Earlier Tengrinews.kz reported that Kyrgyzstan wants to offer Samruk Kazyna to purchase a controlling stake in the newly-established KyrgyzMobileCompany, a mobile carrier.