An Osh businessman approached Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov with an unusual request. He asked the head of state to provide the city with 2 to 3 tons of gold as compensation.
What happened
During his trip to Osh, the second-largest city in Kyrgyzstan, located in the Fergana Valley, Japarov met with local residents and answered their questions. One of those who spoke was Aidar Bakyev, an entrepreneur and former adviser to the mayor of Osh. Citing the difficult situation that local entrepreneurs have faced due to the former mayor’s actions, he asked the president for gold. He said the measure was necessary to speed up the recovery of local businesses.
«Since you’ve become president, the country’s gold reserves have exceeded 52 tons. So why don’t you allocate 2 to 3 tons for Osh as compensation?» the businessman proposed.
What the president said
Japarov burst out laughing. He estimated the cost and flatly refused the businessman’s request.
«Do you know how much two tons of gold are worth? It’s 300, if not 400 million dollars,» the president replied.
He also promised not to abandon the city’s residents and businesses.
