Regional co-operation focus of Deputy Head of OSCE Secretariat visit to Kyrgyzstan

Director of the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre (CPC) and Deputy Head of the OSCE Secretariat Tuula Yrjölä concluded her two-day visit to Kyrgyzstan where she held bilateral meetings with host country officials, and discussed, inter alia, OSCE-Kyrgyzstan co-operation, especially in light of the 30year anniversary of Kyrgyzstan’s participation in the Organization, regional co-operation, and current security challenges.  

During the meeting with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dinara Kemelova, the sides discussed co-operation with the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek, led by Ambassador Alexey Rogov, and the Office’s activities aimed at assisting Kyrgyzstan in implementing OSCE commitments and supporting host country’s priorities. The discussion was also focused on the socio-economic situation in the country, border security, and implications of developments in Afghanistan for Kyrgyzstan. Special attention was paid to President Sadyr Japarov’s initiative to better protect mountain ecosystems and build climate resilience as well as possible contribution the OSCE could make to support these efforts, in light of the 2021 OSCE Ministerial Council decision No. 3/21 on Strengthening Co-operation to Address the Challenges Caused by Climate Change.

Director Yrjölä’s meeting with the Deputy Chairperson of the Security Council of the Kyrgyz Republic Taalatbek Masadykov was an opportunity to discuss the implications of the developments in Afghanistan for Central Asia, and Kyrgyzstan’s coordination with the OSCE to counter transnational threats.  Masadykov also highlighted the important role the OSCE Academy plays in providing  higher education and connecting the youth from across Central Asia, Mongolia, Afghanistan and beyond.

Promoting respect for fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens, electoral reform, freedom of speech, gender equality, combating domestic violence and rights of the child were among the topics discussed at the meeting with the the Ombudsperson of the Kyrgyz Republic Atyr Abdrakhmatova. The parties agreed to continue working actively on priority areas of the host country.

Director Yrjölä also met civil society representatives to discuss current challenges and activities. She visited the Programme Office to meet staff and the OSCE Academy where she was updated by its Director, Dr. Alexander Wolters, on the recent efforts to expand the Academy’s educational offers and academic partnerships. She  engaged with students on their experiences at the Academy, as well as shared about the work of the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre.  The OSCE Academy remains a flagship project for the Organization, and a unique educational institution that brings together talented youth from Central Asia, Mongolia and Afghanistan to promote regional exchange and co-operation.