Cholpon atta: Kyrgyzstan's president declared on Saturday that his former Soviet republic was prepared to cooperate with the EU, which wants to forge closer ties with a region that Russia considers to be within its sphere of influence.

Due to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, major world powers like China and the European Union are now looking to play a bigger role in Central Asia.
This occurs at a time when many people in the region are doubting their long-standing relationships with Russia and looking for assurances in other areas in terms of trade, diplomacy, and strategy.

Kyrgyzstan's president, Sadyr Japarov, whose nation is a Moscow ally, said, "Kyrgyzstan is ready to work hand in hand with the European Union to resolve shared problems, encourage dialogue, and find lasting solutions."

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He was addressing Charles Michel, the head of the EU Council, at the time.
On Friday, Michel participated in a summit that was attended by the presidents of Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan.

The second summit between the former Soviet republics of Central Asia and the EU, the top donor to the region and its main investor, took place in the well-known resort town of Cholpon-Ata on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul.

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In an interview with AFP on Friday, Michel stated, "We offer a sincere partnership" to the five former Soviet republics in the area.

Japarov emphasised the Kyrgyzstan, a mountainous nation of six million people where the principal rivers of Central Asia rise, had the potential to produce solar and hydroelectric power.

Japarov also argued in favour of the massive project known as the Kambarata-1 dam that will be built on the Naryn river, which flows through both Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
The dam and other hydroelectric projects in Central Asia, where water shortages are becoming more common, have heightened tensions between states.

Russia continues to be the dominant force in the fragile and tightly governed area, whose rulers have come under fire for assisting Moscow in getting around Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine.

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Afghanistan, which is next door and is governed by the Taliban, is also unstable. In a joint statement, Japarov and Michel reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring the independence of the Central Asian states.

On Friday, the war in Ukraine—another former Soviet republic—was openly demanded to end by the president of Kyrgyzstan.
It was a rare declaration from the head of a nation that generally avoids publicly criticising Moscow, on which it still depends both militarily and economically.