Text of report by Kyrgyz news agency 24.kg website

Bishkek, 20 June: Today [20 June] Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev and Prime Minister Feliks Kulov, jointly with heads of energy sector enterprises, had a meeting with representatives from the World Bank, the German Development Bank [KfW], the Swiss Agency for [Development and] Cooperation [SDC] and the Asian Development Bank, the Kyrgyz presidential press service has said.

At the meeting, the head of the World Bank for energy in Central Asia, Raghuveer Sharma [lead financial analyst; team leader for Central Asia energy programmes], presented a report entitled "Development of energy sector in Kyrgyzstan", which evaluated the situation in the country's energy sector, putting forward proposals for the policy in this field and ways to increase its potential and attract foreign investment.

During the talks with foreign donors, Bakiyev noted that Kyrgyzstan had no other option but to carry out reforms, and that was why it was reasonable to attract foreign investment into the country's energy sector. "Power stations, the national electricity network and gas pipelines should belong to the state. Other facilities should be handed over as concessions. Any reform or change can be a painful process. The government should carry out explanatory work among the public," Bakiyev stressed.