EU allocates EUR 14 mln for development of green economy in Central Asia

Bishkek, July 5, 2019. /Kabar/. The European Union has allocated EUR 14 million for the development of a green economy and new sustainable development goals in Central Asia.
During the presentation of the SWITCH-Asia program, Deputy Head of the Middle East, Central and South Asia Department of the European Commission Micha Remarquez told journalists the program is only being presented in Central Asia, and it is planned to announce a competition for projects and select the best applications from local companies for funding.
"For 12 years this program has been active in other countries of the world, and it has financed about 70 thousand small and medium enterprises," he said.
Remarquez said that the program will affect all 5 Central Asian countries at once, because the region has the same problem with outdated infrastructure that requires renovation, modernization and replacement.
The Euro Commission representative said that a total of €14 million has been allocated for the program for all Central Asian countries. The European Commission will exclusively select projects.
Zulfiya Zikrina, a key expert on sustainable consumption and production in Central Asia, said that by the end of the year, the European Commission will select about 10 projects to operate in the region.
"Probably, it will be regional programs for 2-3 countries with focus on both regional specificities and specific national resources," she explained.
Today, within the event, the participants will select the priorities in both regional and national directions.