Kyrgyz FM Kazakbaev meets with members of SCO observer mission

Kyrgyzstan’s Foreign Minister Ruslan Kazakbaev met with members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Observer Mission.

The observers have arrived in Bishkek to monitor the preparation and conduct of the early presidential elections and the referendum to determine the form of government in the Kyrgyz Republic, the press service of the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

During the meeting, Ruslan Kazakbaev expressed gratitude to the international observers for their interest and participation in the important event of the Kyrgyz Republic.

The minister informed about the efforts made by the country’s leadership to hold clean and democratic elections.

He confirmed Kyrgyzstan remains fully committed to all its international obligations and to the strict implementation of all previously signed bilateral and multilateral treaties and agreements.

Regarding cooperation within the SCO, Kazakbaev noted that the republic’s participation in the Organization is one of the priorities in the foreign policy of the state.

At the same time, the foreign minister pointed out that despite the existing difficulties related to the pandemic, the SCO member states are actively cooperating on a number of issues within the Organization, including in politics, security, economy, investments, finance, trade, transport and other areas.

Thanks to close cooperation, major SCO events were successfully organized in 2020, such as meetings of the SCO Council of Heads of State and SCO Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) via videoconference.

In his turn, Coordinator of the SCO Observer Mission, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs Aleksei Chepa informed about the work of the Mission in monitoring the preparation for Kyrgyzstan’s presidential elections and the referendum, and expressed confidence that the upcoming elections and the referendum would be as transparent and dignified as possible.