Kyrgyz FM meets with OSCE PA observers ahead of early presidential elections

Bishkek, Jan. 8, 2021 / Kabar /. Minister of Foreign Affairs Ruslan Kazakbaev met today with special coordinator and head of the short-term OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Observation Mission, Treasurer of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Peter Juel-Jensen and head of the delegation of observers from the OSCE Assembly for Central Asia by Reinhold Lopatka.

According to the press service of the ministry, Kazakbaev informed the interlocutors that in order to ensure wide and open observation of the election process in Kyrgyzstan, 311 international observers from 43 countries and representatives of 96 media from 11 states have already started working.

Expressing gratitude to the OSCE PA for sending international observers to Kyrgyzstan, which are being held in a difficult transit period in the country, Kazakbaev briefed the OSCE PA delegation about the internal political situation in the republic, presidential and parliamentary elections, the upcoming constitutional reform and referendum on the new Constitution, as well as a special importance for the country after the events of Oct. 5-6, 2020 to hold fair elections in compliance with democratic principles.

During the meeting, the Kyrgyz foreign minister also expressed gratitude for the support provided to the country by the OSCE in reforming electoral legislation, facilitating elections, assisting state bodies in countering the COVID-19 pandemic, and noted the value for Kyrgyzstan of assistance from the OSCE in the current transit period.

In turn, the head of the OSCE PA mission, Peter Juel-Jensen, thanked for inviting international observers to Kyrgyzstan in order to strengthen young democracy and expressed confidence that the wise people of Kyrgyzstan will overcome all difficulties in a democratic way.

Juel-Jensen also noted that the delegation of the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic is very active in the OSCE PA and expressed hope for further fruitful inter-parliamentary cooperation.

The OSCE PA Mission wished Kyrgyzstan to successfully conduct the upcoming presidential elections in a spirit of fairness and transparency in accordance with the democratic course chosen by the country.