Mr. Cassis wrote that “Sharing a voting group in the Bretton Woods Institutions is a key element of our partnership and Switzerland values the long-standing relations between our two countries.”

He also underlined the continued commitment of Switzerland to cooperation with the Kyrgyz Republic, as outlined by the new Cooperation Programme 2022-2025, which aims at addressing together the challenges of providing high-quality basic public services, ensuring sustainable management of water resources, as well as promoting inclusive and sustainable economic development. “It will benefit both our countries,” the Swiss President H.E. Mr. Ignazio Cassis said in his congratulatory message.

H.E. Mr. Ignazio Cassis highlighted Switzerland’s commitment to further develop the relations and wished H.E. Mr. Sadyr Japarov and the citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic a peaceful and prosperous future.

30 years ago, on 14 February, 1992, Switzerland and Kyrgyzstan established diplomatic relations and since then the two countries cultivate good relations and reliable partnership. 

Additional information:

1992 - Establishment of diplomatic relations

1994 - Signing of cooperation agreement

1996 - Opening of the Swiss Cooperation Office in Kyrgyzstan

2012 - Opening of the Swiss Embassy in Kyrgyzstan

The Government of Switzerland provides assistance for the development of the Kyrgyz Republic to improve the well-being of the population. Over the last 25 years Switzerland has granted more than CHF 450 million to Kyrgyzstan in the form of technical, financial and humanitarian support.

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, supported the home improvements through a 10-year-long partnership with Kyrgyz microfinance organizations. IFC helped the institutions develop an innovative lending product that combined a traditional micro-housing loan with construction-related support, including do-it-yourself home improvement videos, cost estimates for select home improvements, and discounts for quality construction materials. 

The initiative, called the Housing Microfinance Project in the Kyrgyz Republic, helped channel $44.1 million of private funds to 41,505 families, allowing them to construct new homes or renovate existing ones. An additional $15.7 million was channeled to 15,434 families, helping them improve the energy efficiency of their houses, saving them a combined $7.5 million in heating costs. Those 57,000 households were home to 192,000 people.

The project was implemented in partnership with the Swiss Government.

“Improvement of the population’s well-being is what the Swiss development program aspires to achieve in the Kyrgyz Republic,” said Dr. Olivier Bangerter, Swiss Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic. “The housing microfinance project directly contributed to this aim as it reached low-income earners and helped them to fulfil their need of housing.”

Many low-income households struggle to secure loans in the Kyrgyz Republic, where banks are often hesitant to lend to people without substantial collateral. World Bank Group data shows that just 18 percent of people in the Kyrgyz Republic have access to credit while only a handful of lenders provide home improvement loans.

“Housing projects like this can deliver multiple benefits, such as encouraging home ownership, lifting consumption and investment, and, ultimately, helping drive economic growth and development,” said Cassandra Colbert, IFC's Senior Manager for Central Asia. “IFC’s collaboration with local financial institutions to promote housing micro-loans helped thousands of families build new homes or renovate existing ones while also bringing them security and a sense of ownership.”

The initiative is part of a broader IFC efforts to support private sector development in the Kyrgyz Republic and improve access to finance for low-income people.