Kyrgyzstan is putting behind a decade of conflict and moving forward as a democratic nation, Kyrgyz Ambassador Duishenkul Chotonov said in commemorating the April and Tulip Revolutions.

The April Revolution in 2010 ousted former President Kurmanbek Bakiyev and established a new constitution and parliament as the first Central Asian country. Bakiyev replaced his predecessor Askar Akayev in a landslide election victory in 2005 after the Tulip Revolution.

“Since 2010, our country embarked on a path of democracy and development. There’s no turning back,” the ambassador echoed Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev’s address on Tuesday, which paid homage to the revolutionary achievements, in an interview with The Korea Herald.

Kyrgyzstan, where 28 percent of the population is ethnic minority, is taking steps to integrate multiethnic groups and rebuild housing and infrastructure.

To end corruption, the government implemented the Istanbul Action Plan at the OECD meeting in Paris in March. It also adopted the National Strategy for Sustainable Development aimed at achieving social integration; establishing the rule of law; improving business environment; and eliminating poverty.

A string of market reforms has been installed by privatizing state companies; setting up fair rules of competition; and opening doors to foreign investment through free economic zones. Agriculture, mining, transport, communications and tourism sectors have potential for collaboration.

“Unlike the Chinese, Russian, Turkish and Iranian companies, which have long operated in our country, trade and investment between Kyrgyzstan and Korea do not adequately reflect the two economies’ growth prospects,” Chotonov said.

The ambassador added that Korean companies can invest in hydropower and infrastructure construction. A delegation from the Kyrgyzstani Parliament and Ministry of Agriculture and Melioration is participating in the World Water Forum 2015 in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province.

Kyrgyzstan is the third-largest producer of hydropower in the Commonwealth of Independent States, generating over 14 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually from its 252 rivers. The country also produces 840 million tons oil-equivalent of renewable energy through hydro, solar and wind powers.

The Kyrgyz government signed an agreement with the Korea International Cooperation Agency last year to receive official development assistance. Korea’s POSCO and Mineral Resources Authority and Mine Reclamation Corporation are operating in the capital Bishkek.

By Joel Lee (joel@heraldcorp.com)