Kyrgyzstan and the United States to work out new cooperation agreement

Kyrgyzstan and the United States will work out a new cooperation agreement. Press service of the Kyrgyz Parliament reported.

According to it, the Speaker of the Parliament Asylbek Jeenbekov received the U.S. Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Sheila Gwaltney. The sides discussed a wide range of issues concerning development of bilateral and inter-parliamentary relations. The Speaker expressed gratitude to the people and the U.S. Government for the assistance provided to the country for the entire period of its independence.

 Asylbek Jeenbekov told about the priorities in the work of Parliament aimed at building a strong, independent state, which must ensure the rule of law and freedom of the citizens' interests. "It is time for strategic development. In the coming years, we plan to hold wide-ranging reforms that will involve nearly all spheres of life of the country. And, of course, we expect the support of all our partners," the Speaker said.

Sheila Gwaltney noted that for the years of Kyrgyzstan's independence the U.S. have provided grant assistance to the country in the amount of $ 2 billion. She confirmed the U.S. commitment to continue working closely with the Kyrgyz Republic on the basis of trust and mutual respect. "The US policy has ever been aimed at supporting the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity of your country. Democracy requires an ongoing process of discussion of topical issues, civil society participation, and improvement of state governance mechanisms. Prosperity and development of Kyrgyzstan is our priority," the press service of Parliament quoted the Ambassador as saying.

It is also reported that the head of the US diplomatic mission informed about ongoing work at the level of governments on a new cooperation agreement between the two countries.

Recall, the Agreement between the Governments of Kyrgyzstan and the United States on cooperation signed in Washington on May 19, 1993, has been denounced in July 2015. Kyrgyz government made it unilaterally in protest against the awarding of the convicted human rights activist Azimzhan Askarov.