Kyrgyz FM holds telephone conversation with OSCE secretary general

Bishkek, Feb. 18, 2022. / Kabar /. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan Ruslan Kazakbaev had a telephone conversation with OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid, during which the sides discussed topical issues on the agenda of cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and the Organization, the press service of the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry reported.

In particular, against the backdrop of growing international tension and news that individual OSCE participating states have decided to withdraw their representatives from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), an exchange of views took place on the further work of the Mission.

Schmid expressed her gratitude for Kyrgyzstan's support for the SMM. In light of this, she noted the need for OSCE participating states to respect the fundamental principles and commitments that underlie the OSCE and called for further active participation in OSCE confidence- and security-building activities to defuse tensions at this critical juncture. For his part, Kazakbaev stressed the need for the continuous functioning of the SMM in such an important period for the host country.

He informed that the position of Kyrgyzstan regarding the goals and objectives of the SMM remains unchanged. The Kyrgyz Republic considers it right and necessary to continue the work of the SMM and in this regard supports the efforts of the secretary general. He indicated that the representatives of the Kyrgyz Republic would continue their work in the SMM to resolve the current difficult situation.

At the same time, the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic stressed that ensuring the safety and security of officials and employees of the SMM should be one of the main tasks and responsibility of the OSCE.

In addition, during the conversation, the Kyrgyz side renewed the invitation of Schmid to visit the Kyrgyz Republic in May 2022 to participate in the High-level Meeting 30 Years of Central Asia-OSCE Cooperation. In this connection, the readiness of Kyrgyzstan was expressed for close cooperation with the OSCE team for the successful holding of the mentioned event.