Bishkek, June 19, 2026. /Kabar/. President Sadyr Zhaparov on June 18, took part in the opening ceremony of the Issyk-Kul International Forum, held at the Rukh-Ordo Cultural Center in Cholpon-Ata.
"Today, continuing this intellectual tradition established by Chyngyz Aitmatov, we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Issyk-Kul Forum, which is being held under the motto 'The World at a Civilizational Crossroads: Together Towards the Future,'" the president noted.
As the president emphasized, organizing the forum is an opportunity to foster a new civilizational dialogue between North and South, East and West, and to find intellectual responses to the most pressing challenges of our time: climate change, the risks of uncontrolled development of artificial intelligence, and the preservation of high human values.
"In the current circumstances, an important question arises: what role can intellectuals, people of thought and culture, play, as opposed to politicians, who often strive to achieve their goals at any cost? This is a question simple in form but extremely profound in content, and humanity continues to seek an answer," the head of state noted.
Sadyr Zhaparov emphasized the profound mission of the Issyk-Kul Forum, which goes far beyond simply organizing a discussion platform.
"We are now obligated to recognize the scale of damage humans are causing to the planet's ecosystem. We need to restore respectful and harmonious relations with nature. I would like to take this opportunity to note that Kyrgyzstan consistently draws the attention of the international community to the preservation of mountain ecosystems and the development of a green economy," the President emphasized.
The head of state also expressed hope that the current meeting would develop global humanitarian initiatives aimed at overcoming wars and the environmental crisis, propose mechanisms for mobilizing international organizations to resolve conflicts between states, and identify approaches to using artificial intelligence exclusively for the benefit of humanity.
Concluding his speech, Sadyr Zhaparov expressed confidence that today's forum participants, who have come from all corners of the world, will discuss the future of humanity and its sustainable development.
The Issyk-Kul Forum is being attended by President of Albania, Bajram Begaj, Nobel Prize laureate Mo Yan, classic Chinese literary figure Wang Meng, world-renowned historian and expert Peter Frankopan, film director Ali Khamraev, renowned artist and art manager Vasily Tsereteli, and many other renowned cultural and scientific figures from Asia and Europe.
Forum participants were also greeted in their congratulatory messages by President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, and the President of Turkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The Issyk-Kul International Forum-40 is intended to become a significant global platform for intellectual responsibility to future generations. In the context of growing