According to Mamatkanov, Kyrgyzstan highly values its long-standing cooperation with the Government of Japan, the Embassy of Japan in the Kyrgyz Republic, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Japan International Cooperation Center.

He also recalled that the two sides recently signed an agreement to continue the JDS program, under which Japan provided a grant of 381 million yen ($2,415 million).

«This grant is an investment in the knowledge of our civil servants, their future leadership potential and the further development of the public administration system of the Kyrgyz Republic,» the Deputy Cabinet Chairman said.

This year, 20 state and municipal employees will travel to Japan under the JDS program: 19 will pursue master’s degrees and one will study in a doctoral program.

The JDS program has been implemented in Kyrgyzstan since 2006. Over this period, more than 300 Kyrgyz state and municipal employees have received the opportunity to study at Japanese higher education institutions.