Special attention was paid to the management of international reserves. Sadyr Japarov noted the high level of professional expertise of the Swiss National Bank in this area and confirmed the Kyrgyz side’s readiness to further strengthen cooperation, expand the exchange of professional approaches, and maintain regular dialogue between relevant experts from the two countries.

Martin Schlegel noted that he was pleased to be visiting Kyrgyzstan for the first time and praised the level of bilateral cooperation between the two countries’ central banks.

He recalled that since the 1990s, experts from the Swiss National Bank have provided advisory support on the introduction of the national currency, the som. Today, as Martin Schlegel noted, the som is one of the most stable currencies in the region.

He also emphasized the Swiss National Bank’s readiness to continue technical cooperation with the Kyrgyz side and noted Kyrgyzstan’s high economic growth rates, which are among the highest in Central Asia.

At the end of the meeting, Martin Schlegel shared his impressions of Kyrgyzstan’s natural environment, mountain landscapes, and Issyk-Kul Lake.