The ICA-AP delegation comprising of Ms. Savitri Singh, Program Director of ICA-AP; Ms. Nazik Beishenaly, President Co-operative Union of Kyrgyzstan and Mr. Igor Vokatch, General Secretary of the Green Jobs and Sustainable Development International Centre visited the European Union Delegation (EUD) on July 3, 2017 and had a meeting with Mr. Carl Frosio, Project Manager, Cooperation Section. The objective of the meeting was to acquaint the delegation with ICA; the co-operative network in central Asia, especially the CUK; and to know about the engagement EUD in Kyrgyzstan. 

The EUD in Kyrgyzstan focuses on education, rule of law and rural development and provides support where there is a clearly defined country policy. In Kyrgyzstan, there is need for a coherent agriculture policy.  The EUD is aware of cooperatives, as they have worked with agricultural cooperatives in Issyk-Kul region. Some of the areas where there could be engagement between the EUD and CUK and co-operatives:

• Technical training that is provided through FAO  
• Launch a significantly large scale rural development project in Jalalabad region covering Osh, Batcen and Jalalabad with GIZ. GIZ has a large component of working with farmers and rural community and cooperatives may also derive benefit from this. 
• Support export to Europe under Generalized System of Preferences+ under the policy of “Central Asia Invest” supporting small and medium enterprises in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.