AKIPRESS.COM - In support of the objectives outlined by President Sooronbai Jeenbekov in the Declaration of 2018 as the Year of the Development of the Regions, the Naryn mayor's office and Aga Khan Development Network agreed to cooperate on the master plan for the development of Naryn town, the AKDN said.

This was formally announced during the VI International Naryn Investment Forum organised earlier today by the Naryn mayor's office. Following the pronouncement, the Naryn mayor's office and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, an AKDN agency, formally exchanged copies of a Memorandum of Cooperation.

An initiative of the Naryn Municipality, this exercise aims to promote the social and economic development of the town through a concerted, planned approach to ultimately improve the quality of life of its inhabitants and visitors. Specifically, the planning process will help opportunities for economic growth, improved infrastructure, and support Government-led efforts to transform Naryn into an economic, touristic, cultural, and intellectual hub.

Mr. Emilbek Alymkulov, mayor of Naryn said: “We appreciate the positive response from the AKDN to our request for this important undertaking. This collaboration will provide our town an opportunity to unlock its full potential to ultimately benefit the residents and guests. We look forward to this latest element of our long-standing cooperation with the AKDN, in particular the technical support from AKTC.”

The Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) brings with it decades of experience working with municipalities to promote planning, conservation and urban revitalisation in ways that can spur social, economic and cultural development. In 2016, AKTC supported the rehabilitation of the Naryn Central Park ("Smart Park") in part to demonstrate the value and benefits of enhancing public space. The project was successfully completed and handed over to the Municipality.

“We are pleased to collaborate with the Naryn authorities on this important innovative project as it will provide benefit and learning to Naryn town and to Municipalities throughout the country. It builds on the considerable existing initiatives supported by the AKDN in Naryn, in the fields of health, rural development, financial services, and education, most notably the University of Central Asia,” underlined Dr. Shamsh Kassim-Lakha, Diplomatic Representative of the Aga Khan Development Network in the Kyrgyz Republic.