The Independent Office of Evaluation of IFAD (IOE), in collaboration with the Government of Kyrgyzstan and IFAD’s Near East, North Africa and Europe Division, organized a virtual national workshop for the Kyrgyzstan Country Strategy and Programme Evaluation (CSPE), as a final step in the evaluation process.

The virtual event took place on 1 March 2023 from 9.30 to 11.30 CET (Rome time) and entailed the participation of representatives of government agencies, key project implementing partners, development partners and others, as well as IFAD senior management and staff.

The objectives of the workshop were to:

• discuss the main findings, and recommendations of the CSPE; and
• reflect on strategic priorities for IFAD’s next country strategic opportunities programme and related opportunities and challenges.

The workshop opened with an introduction by Mr Maksat Damir uluu, who also acted as moderator of the event. Mr Nurdin Alisherov, First Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, delivered an opening statement. This was followed by a statement by Dr Indran Naidoo, Director, IOE. Ms Dina Saleh, Director, Near East, North Africa and Europe Division (NEN), IFAD, then pronounced a statement on behalf of Mr Donal Brown, Associate Vice President, Programme Management Department, IFAD.

Ms Fumiko Nakai, Senior Evaluation Officer, IOE, presented the CSPE’s main findings and recommendations. Representatives of development partners active in the Kyrgyz Republic – Ms Hilke David, WFP Deputy Country Director, and Mr Abdymalik Egemberdiev, Head, National Association of Pasture User Unions (Kyrgyz Jaiyty) – provided remarks.

Ms Saleh and Mr Samir Bejaoui, Country Director for Kyrgyzstan, NEN, reflected on the future directions for the IFAD country programme.

In the closing session of the event, Dr Naidoo gave a vote of thanks. Ms Jamilya Arnakunova, Lead Specialist, Department of State Investment Projects, Ministry of Finance, delivered closing remarks on behalf of Mr Nurbek Akhzolov, Head of the International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Finance.

The event was attended by over 60 participants.