Switzerland continues to commit itself to contributing to the sustainable development of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. In the following four years (2007-2011), Switzerland intends to deploy technical, financial and humanitarian cooperation instruments in five main thematic domains. 

Cooperation Domains

• Health Care Reform
• Water management and disaster risk reduction
• Basic infrastructure
• Private sector development
• Public institutions and services

Cooperation Goals and Strategy

The Swiss Development Cooperation with Central Asia Region aims at poverty alleviation, facilitation of sustainable, private sector-led growth, equitable access to good quality public services and transition towards pluralistic and economically viable states by supporting countries in implementing their national development strategies in cooperation with other donors.

Given the common and highly interlinked development challenges of the countries of Central Asia, a regional approach is applied in the strategic planning of technical and financial cooperation. Interventions are regional where possible - this applies in particular to the water and energy sector as well as to the private sector development.

In many cases however, the different development trajectories and diverse social, political and economic systems of the three main partner countries require national implementation in the form of bilateral projects. In these cases, activities are undertaken simultaneously in several of the focal countries, favouring increased regional learning and exchange of experience between Cooperation Offices and development partners, which in turn allows for a more effective policy dialogue. This is summarized by the following motto: “Think regionally – implement nationally”

As a consequence, programs implemented in only one country under the Midterm Program 2002-2006 are phased out under the so called residual program by latest 2010.

Gender and governance - are understood as an additional dimension to development operations with the aim to enhance program effectiveness and relevance.