BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 4. Kyrgyzstan and China have signed an implementation agreement for a 148.9 million yuan ($22.1 million) project to modernize the country's irrigation infrastructure.
This was reflected in a statement published by Kyrgyzstan's Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry following a meeting between Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry Erlist Akunbekov and Chinese Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Liu Jiangping.
"The sides signed an implementation agreement for the project on the supply of machinery and equipment for the Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic," the ministry said.
The project is being implemented under the March 26, 2015 agreement on bilateral technical and economic assistance between China and Kyrgyzstan, the report noted.
According to the ministry, China will provide 370 units of specialized equipment for the Water Resources Service. The machinery will be used for the mechanized cleaning of irrigation canals and will be distributed among seven regional and 40 district water management departments across the country.
The ministry said the project is expected to improve irrigation infrastructure, strengthen water supply for agricultural land and support the modernization of Kyrgyzstan's water management sector.
China has become one of Kyrgyzstan's largest development partners, financing transport, energy, irrigation and public infrastructure projects through grants and concessional assistance. Water management has gained particular importance as Bishkek seeks to improve agricultural productivity, strengthen food security and adapt irrigation systems to growing climate-related pressures.
