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Today, on March 29, 2023, a round table was held in Bishkek on the theme “Ensuring the availability of safe drinking water to the population of the Kyrgyz Republic”, dedicated to the World Water Day which is celebrated annually on March 22, with the participation of representatives of state and municipal authorities, international financial institutions, ARIS, drinking water suppliers, representatives of non-governmental and public organizations.

The main goal of the round table was to discuss issues of ensuring sustainable availability of safe drinking water to the population of the Kyrgyz Republic.

The event was attended by specialists from the State Agency for Architecture, Construction and Communal Services under the Cabinet of Ministers (hereinafter referred to as the SAACCS under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic) headed by the First Deputy Director of the SAACCS under the Cabinet of Ministers Kudaybergenov B.T., staff of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic, representatives of the Department of Disease Prevention and State Sanitary and Epidemiological Surveillance of the Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic, researchers from the National Institute of Public Health of the Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic and the National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic, representatives of public associations, as well as specialists from the Community Development and Investment Agency of the Kyrgyz Republic, headed by Deputy Executive Director A.J. Mambetkulova.

The round table session began with a welcoming speech by the First Deputy Director of the SAACCS under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic Kudaybergenov B.T. who briefly outlined the goals and objectives of the event. He also noted that following the results of the event, it was necessary to develop a joint definition of further steps to improve the situation in this area and develop a sustainable, efficient and viable model for the construction, operation and management of centralized water supply and sanitation systems.

“Issues that are planned to be discussed at the round table are part of the country's agenda. Because an important element of the national policy is to guarantee the stability and sustainability of the water supply and sanitation system on a long-term basis,” B. Kudaibergenov said.

After the introductory part of the round table, a presentation session began, in which representatives of the above departments and organizations delivered presentations on the following topics:

• “National policy in the field of drinking water supply and sanitation in the Kyrgyz Republic” - SAACCS under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic;
• “National policy of the education sector of the KR in the field of promotion of activities Water, sanitation and hygiene to ensure measures on health issues” - MES KR;
• “Situation on drinking water supply in settlements of the Kyrgyz Republic” – DDP&SSES under MOH KR;
• “The situation of providing the population of the Kyrgyz Republic with safe drinking water” - NIPH of the Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic;
• “Sustainability of management of the water supply system in rural areas” (problems, ways of solution) - Public association;
• “Implementation of rural water supply and sanitation projects” – ARIS of KR;
• “Experience of cooperation between NICECA and the Department of Construction and Engineering Infrastructure to provide the population with clean drinking water within the framework of One Belt One Road” - National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic.

It should be noted that after the official part of the event, the ceremony of presenting departmental awards of the Department for the Development of Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation under the SAACCS under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic was held for fruitful work and a significant contribution to the development of the water supply sector of the Kyrgyz Republic in honor of World Water Day.

The participants of the event stated the need for further, broader discussion and research of the issues raised.