MOSCOW, August 5 (RIA Novosti) - Kyrgyzstan is considering building a gambling zone near the large mountain lake of Issyk Kul, the central Asian country's ambassador to Russia said on Wednesday.

Russian casino operators will be able to move their establishments to Kyrgyzstan following the closure of gambling centers across Russia.

"We are considering the possibility of building a huge gambling center near Lake Issyk-Kul," Raimkul Attakurov told reporters. "Some businessmen have already shown an interest in the project."

He also said that the Moscow city government is willing to help build an airport near the lake.

Casinos across Russia closed down in accordance with the government's July 1 deadline. The closures went ahead despite strong resistance against the Kremlin's campaign to curb gambling, as a breeding ground for money laundering and organized crime.

In line with a 2007 law, casinos and other gaming establishments were relocated to four designated areas - in the Baltic exclave Kaliningrad, south Siberia's Altai territory, Primorye in the Far East, and in southern Russia.