BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, March 24. Rustam Baltabaev has been appointed Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic, Trend reports, citing the ministry.

Prior to his appointment, he served as Executive Director of the Association for the Development of the Agro-Industrial Complex of Kyrgyzstan, where he led a number of projects aimed at advancing the industry.

In his new role, Baltabaev will oversee areas including processing, organic production, and exports.

Baltabaev has over 12 years of experience in the agro-industrial sector. Previously, he has outlined initiatives to create new processing facilities (including plans to build 385 such facilities), develop organic production, improve veterinary control, and address water supply issues in agriculture.