Almazbek Atambayev

Atambaev married Buazhar from whom he had four children (2 sons and 2 daughters). The couple later separated.

He later got married to an ethnic Tatar doctor, Raisa in 1988 and from this marriage too he has two children- a boy and a girl.

Almazbek Atambayev was born on 17 September 1956 in Arashan (Chui’s northern region.), Kyrgyzstan.

He enrolled at the Moscow Institute of Management for studying economics.

Post his education, he went on to join the publishing business where he did exceptionally well, eventually becoming the director of manufacturing companies.

For a span of four years (1983 – 1987), he serviced the Supreme Council of the Kyrgyz SSR.

Atambayev was one of the founding members of the Social Democratic Party in 1999 and appointed as the chairman of the same in 1999.

He did not find any success in the presidential election of October, 2000 wherein he received only 6% of the votes.

Being appointed as the Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism on 20th December, 2005, he served the government till April, 2006; post which he was seen as an active participant in various protests against the government.

Atambayev’s role as President was remarkable as seen by the efforts he made to improvise trade relations with other countries.

He was seen doing justice to the Presidential post by paying early visits to Turkey in 2011 to sign agreements to hike trade and foreign investment to $1 billion by 2015 and $450 million respectively.

Atambayev has displayed interest in the strengthening economic ties with Russia and also showed willingness to join the Russian led Eurasian Customs Union.

Looking at the long term perspective, he had plans to implement the withdrawal of the American base from Kyrgyzstan in 2014 and in turn develop closer ties with Russia for its economic and energy autonomy in future.

For Kyrgyzstan’s Kant airbase, Atambayev called for a sum of $15 million that Russia owed to Kyrgyzstan while on a visit to Moscow in 2012.