BISHKEK, July 10, 2010 – The World Bank Regional Director for Central Asia Motoo Konishi has arrived in the Kyrgyz Republic and visited the southern city of Osh with Mr. Jantoro Satybaldiev, Director General of Directorate for Reconstruction of Osh and Jalal-Abad. The goal of this visit is to see firsthand the severe devastation left by the social unrest in June. Mr. Konishi will also discuss with the government officials the World Bank’s assistance to the country and participate in the Joint Economic Assessment that is being carried out by the World Bank together with its development partners.
“We are deeply concerned with the devastating impact that the recent tragic events in the south of Kyrgyzstan have had on the people in the country,” said Motoo Konishi. “We are mobilizing our human and financial resources and partnering with other donors to help the government with their reconstruction efforts and providing assistance to those in need.”
The World Bank experts in the areas of post conflict reconstruction, economic development, infrastructure, social development, and conflict resolution are working in the Kyrgyz Republic during July 8-15, 2010 as part of the Joint Economic Assessment carried out by the Asian Development Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The initial needs assessment was done in May 2010 to assess the country’s needs after the April popular uprising. The purpose of the current follow up assessment is to review the economic, social, infrastructure and other impacts of the June events and estimate the additional demand on the budget arising from the recovery and reconstruction needs.
The findings of the Joint Economic Assessment will be discussed among donors and presented to the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic by the end of July 2010. They will also serve as a basis for discussion during a Donor Meeting which is scheduled to be held in Bishkek on July 27, 2010.
Since the Kyrgyz Republic joined the World Bank in September 1992, the World Bank’s overall mission in Kyrgyzstan has been to promote economic growth, reduce poverty, and encourage better quality of life. The financial assistance committed to the Kyrgyz Republic so far amounts to over US$ 894 million for 46 projects, in the form of grants and highly concessional credits. The Bank has funded 38 investment projects with a particular focus on rural development, including rural infrastructure, health and education.
