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OSCE marks 20th anniversary of working with Kyrgyzstan

Caravanserai

BISHKEK -- The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) marked its 20th anniversary of working in Kyrgyzstan, the OSCE said in a statement Wednesday (April 10).

The OSCE is ready to support Kyrgyzstan "in consolidating stability, and furthering development and reform efforts", OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajčák said during a visit to Bishkek Tuesday (April 9).

"I strongly welcome the work of the OSCE -- in establishing the building blocks for peace and stability from the ground up," Lajčák said during an event marking the anniversary.

Lajčák met with top Kyrgyz leaders in Bishkek, including President Sooronbay Jeenbekov, Foreign Minister Chyngyz Aidarbekov and Speaker of the Parliament Dastanbek Djumabekov.

"It is clear that the organisation is not here to teach or impose anything," he said. "Instead, it is here to listen and learn, to create new platforms for dialogue and exchange, to build capacities."

The OSCE Programme Office in Kyrgyzstan over the past two decades has worked "to counter terrorism and corruption, facilitate cross-border trade and raise environmental awareness", according to the statement.

It has also helped promote the participation of women in political life and supported efforts to improve the access of persons with disabilities to the electoral process, it added.

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