A couple of months after we invested, I invited representatives from Helvetas and Hivos to visit the factory at Kirgshelk. The purpose of the meeting was to show them what we were doing and present our plans for the future. This included Trilight supporting local dairy farmers. The visitors got a tour of the factory followed by tasting and discussions in the meeting room. Mr. D, the very passionate baker, did most of the speaking. He spoke well and was entertaining. It was a fantastic afternoon. And a good starting point for future collaboration. I was optimistic but soon I was disappointed.

In the evening, I invited the Hivos representative for dinner. I suggested to Nurgazy that we take her to good restaurant serving local cuisine, not a fancy restaurant. The purpose of this dinner meeting was to get acquainted. It was supposed to be informal. I specifically requested Nurgazy not to talk business or ask for money. This would not be the right time and place.

But things do not turn out as planned. Nurgazy booked a private room at Prego. We had our private butler. He was there to serve our food and make sure we were well looked after. There was lots of food. The evening was extravagant. It was slightly uncomfortable. And then Nurgazy asked her what we needed to do to get funding. I froze, I didn’t know what to say. This is what I asked Nurgazy not to do. I could see that the representative felt really uncomfortable. I changed the conversation. After dinner, the Hivos representative and myself went out for drinks. I apologized for what happened. She understood.

The way Europeans do business is different from how things are done in Kyrgyzstan. It is not right or wrong, it is just different. In Kyrgyzstan I have been to many lunch and dinner meetings. Food and hospitality is an important part of meetings in Kyrgyzstan. On many occasions, during the meal I would be asked if my company would invest. On the other hand, in many other countries this kind of question would not be asked until at a much later stage. There are differences in how things are done. After we invested in Trilight, my plan was to work closely with Trilight, to do things that earns the trust of European organisations. But this incident, and many other afterwards, made this a nearly impossible task.

Informal meetings is an excellent opportunity to build rapport with international organisations, to get to know each other better. It is like the first date. You cannot ask for too much in the first date. Collaboration can come later, after few more successful dates. Unfortunately this was not going to be the case.

Note: A criminal case is currently open. These are two most recent letters I received from the prosecutor.

уведомление

Opening of Criminal Case March 2018

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