India-Kyrgyzstan Women Business Forum held online to Implement Women Empowerment Projects

By: WE Staff | Thursday, 22 April 2021

The official opening of the India-Kyrgyzstan Women Business Forum in a virtual format took place on April 20, 2021.

The Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic in India and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) collaborated to organise this conference.

The business forum from the Indian side was opened by Dr.Sangita Reddy, Past President, FICCI, Jt MD Apollo Hospitals Ltd; Mr. Dilip Chenoy, Secretary-General of FICCI and Mr.Alok Dimri, Ambassador of India in the Kyrgyz Republic.

On behalf of the Kyrgyz side, the Forum was launched by Ms.Aizhan Chynybaeva, Vice-Mayor of Bishkek; Ms.Zamira Akbagysheva, President of the Congress of Women of the Kyrgyz Republic; Ms.Ainoura Sagynbaeva, Chairperson of the “Women's Forum“Kurak”; and Mr.Asein Isaev, Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic in India.

The Forum's co-chairs are Harjinder Kaur Talwar, Past President FICCI FLO, Zamira Akbagysheva, President of the Kyrgyz Republic's Congress of Women, and Ainoura Sagynbaeva, Chairperson of the "Women's Forum" Kurak.

Two Memorandums of Understanding were signed at the Forum. One is between the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the Congress of Women of Kyrgyzstan and the other one is between the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and “Women's Forum“ Kurak ”.

In her speech, Sangita Reddy said that initiatives to help and encourage women's entrepreneurship are growing in both India and Kyrgyzstan and that it is critical to find common ground where the Indian side can support the initiatives of Kyrgyz women's organisations.

The Kyrgyz side, which was represented by Vice-Mayor of Bishkek Chynybaeva, as well as Akbagysheva and Sagynbayeva, noted the uniqueness of the establishment of such a permanent women's forum, which will serve as a platform for expanding business interaction and building networks in areas such as handicraft and applied arts, agriculture, tourism, information technology, pharmaceuticals, and many others in Kyrgyzstan and India.

In his statement, Ambassador Isaev stressed that the integration of Kyrgyzstan's and India's historically powerful women's movements in a broad joint forum would make a major contribution to bilateral ties between the two countries.

India was also very interested in the unique projects of women entrepreneurs from Osh and Naryn, and comprehensive proposals for their implementation were presented.

As the situation with the coronavirus pandemic stabilises, the Indian side expressed its willingness to visit Kyrgyzstan for further implementation and comprehensive discussion of projects in the field of women's entrepreneurship with the Kyrgyz side.

India and Kyrgyzstan have had close cultural and economic relations since ancient times and forums like this increase the historic partnership.