Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- President Sadyr Japarov, in an interview with the Kabar agency, answered questions about leasing four boarding houses in Issyk-Kul to Uzbek investors.

- Leasing four boarding houses in Issyk-Kul to Uzbek investors for 49 years caused indignation among social media users. They note that the lease term of 49 years is too long. In their opinion, it would be more appropriate if it was 5-10 years. Mentioning Kempir-Abad along with the boarding houses, they wonder about independence. Can you give a detailed answer to such arguments?

- On four boarding houses I will tell the following. In 2016, Temir Sariev, as prime minister, seized them, which was more like populism, to be honest. Then it was necessary to study archival documents and reflect on the future of these objects. If there were guarantees that we would not lose in an international court by such an action, then it would be appropriate.

In the same year, the Uzbek side appealed to the international court in Washington and demanded compensation for damages of US$65 million. In 2017, Sapar Isakov sent a letter to the Uzbek side, in which it was proposed to resolve the issue peacefully and work out the return of four boarding houses to the Uzbek side. However, he asked to withdraw the claim. But the Uzbek side did not abandon the claims.

In May this year, the court ruled that the Kyrgyz side must pay more than US$40 million. We held negotiations with the Uzbek side and came to an agreement that we would lease the facilities for 49 years, and they would upgrade them to the level of four or five-star hotels: we have no way to pay them the amount presented.

The state of these boarding houses today leaves much to be desired: they are so dilapidated that they can already be called a barn. We ourselves will not be able to invest in their modernization in the next 15-20 years, because we have a lot of other critical gaps. Until we patch them up, boarding houses are out of the question.

If you sell these four boarding houses, then no one will buy them even for US$4 million, not to mention US $40 million. To say that it could be rented out for 5-10 years is ignorance, because only the construction of four-five-star hotels will take these 5-10 years. Therefore, no state will agree to invest so much money without guarantees that it will pay off its investments.

Those who trumpet that they gave away Kempir-Abad can be called ignoramuses. Kempir-Abad was not given to anyone, on the contrary, they received it. We entered into an agreement to manage it on an equal footing and took 50% for ourselves. Previously, they wouldn’t let him even 50 meters away, right? We are ready to answer, without blushing, for each of our decisions and deeds, even after 50 years. Our work is entirely and completely done for the benefit of the people. Therefore, I ask you not to pay attention to the information of some sites that seek to cause resonance in any case.

- There are 5-6 sites that are opposed to your policy. They even reverse achievements and present them as negative. Why are they against you? I would like to note that before you they praised the previous authorities.

- I will answer directly: earlier they all regularly received money from Kumtor, Megacom and the airport. I stopped this when I came to power. Why should state-owned enterprises provide private sites? Every year, the most advanced sites received 20 million soms, and simpler ones - 2-3 million soms. State money should work only for the benefit of the people and the state, so I immediately stopped this funding. From that day on, they all hate me, and do not want to notice all the good that is being done. But I don't even pay attention to them.