Since December 1, 2011, Almazbek Atambayev has served as President of Kyrgyzstan. He was the Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan from December 2010 to December 2011 before becoming President. He made history by becoming the first post-Communist Kyrgyzstan President to be inaugurated peacefully. He began his career as a merchant before joining the Supreme Council of the Kyrgyz SSR. He has also served as the Minister of Industry, Trade, and Tourism, as well as the leader of the United People’s Movement and Prime Minister (from March 29, 2007, to November 28, 2007, and from December 17, 2010, to December 1, 2011). While in office, he went to great lengths to ensure Kyrgyzstan’s economic independence by expanding commercial links with Turkey and Russia. Despite staging multiple rallies against then-President Kurmanbek Bakiyev for his unethical leadership, Bakiyev expressed gratitude for his efforts.
Childhood and Adolescence
Almazbek Atambayev was born in Arashan (Chui’s northern region), Kyrgyzstan, on September 17, 1956.
He decided to study economics at the Moscow Institute of Management.
After completing his education, he proceeded into the publishing industry, where he excelled, eventually rising to the position of director of manufacturing businesses.
He worked for the Supreme Council of the Kyrgyz SSR for four years, from 1983 to 1987.
In 1999, Atambayev was one of the founding members of the Social Democratic Party and was elected as its chairman.
He did not fare well in the presidential election in October 2000, receiving only 6% of the vote.
He was named Minister of Industry, Trade, and Tourism on December 20, 2005, and served in the cabinet until April 6, 2006, during which time he was seen as an active participant in several anti-government protests.
He spearheaded a rally in Bishkek during the ‘For Reform’ campaign in November 2006.
Following Prime Minister Azim Isabekov’s resignation in March 2007, President Kurmanbek Bakiyev nominated Atambayev as acting Prime Minister.
His appointment as Prime Minister was eventually approved by a parliamentary vote of 48-3 on March 30th, making him the first Prime Minister from an opposition party.
On October 24, 2007, then-President Bakiyev announced Atambayev’s administration’s resignation, but the cabinet intended to remain in power until a parliamentary election in December.
Despite a vote that allowed him to stay in office until the December legislative election, Atambayev resigned on November 28, 2007.
In 2008, he was elected as the United People’s Movement’s leader.
Despite being declared a potential contender for the Kyrgyz presidential elections in July 2009, he withdrew his candidacy on election day, citing rampant fraud as the reason.
From April until December 2010, Atambayev served as the interim government’s deputy chairman.
When his Social Democratic Party formed a coalition with a rewritten constitution after the 2010 Parliamentary elections, Atambayev became Prime Minister.
He was elected President of Kyrgyzstan in October 2011 with 63 percent of the vote, succeeding Roza Otunbayeva and leaving behind Adakhan Madumarov of the Butun Kyrgyzstan party and Kamchybek Tashiev of the Ata-Zhurt party.
Almazbek Atambayev’s Achievements
As seen by his efforts to improve commercial links with other countries, Atambayev’s position as President was exceptional.
He was considered deserving of the presidency by traveling to Turkey in 2011 to sign deals to increase trade and foreign investment to $1 billion and $450 million, respectively, by 2015.
Atambayev has expressed interest in deepening economic connections with Russia and has expressed willingness to join the Eurasian Customs Union, which is governed by Russia.
In the long run, he intended to implement the departure of the American base from Kyrgyzstan in 2014 and, as a result, create deeper ties with Russia in order to ensure Kyrgyzstan’s economic and energy independence in the future.
During a visit to Moscow in 2012, Atambayev demanded $15 million for Kyrgyzstan’s Kant airfield, which Russia owed Kyrgyzstan.
Personal History and Legacy
Atambaev married Buazhar and had four children with her (2 sons and 2 daughters). The pair eventually split up.
He later married Raisa, an ethnic Tatar doctor, in 1988, and they have two children together: a boy and a daughter.
Estimated Net worth
Almazbek Atambayev is one of the wealthiest politicians and one of the most well-known. Almazbek Atambayev’s net worth is estimated to be $1.5 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.