15:36, 24 августа 2023, Bishkek - 24.kg news agency , Darya PODOLSKAYA
Speaker of the Parliament of Kyrgyzstan Nurlanbek Shakiev met with members of the European Parliament headed by the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament David McAllister. Press service of the Parliament reported.
During the meeting they discussed the development of cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and European countries, expansion of inter-parliamentary ties.
Nurlanbek Shakiev noted that such meetings contribute to strengthening of bilateral relations. «The Kyrgyz Republic is always interested in development of cooperation with the European Union. In particular, we seek to deepen cooperation with the parliaments of European states and active cooperation with the European Parliament,» he said.
Reminding that the meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Committee will take place in Bishkek in December this year, Nurlanbek Shakiev stressed the importance of this event for Kyrgyzstan.
«As a country that seeks to continuously pursue democratic, political, social and economic reforms, we will continue to work closely with all parties, including European countries. After all, only an open and constructive dialog will help strengthen the partnership,» he noted.
In turn, David McAllister told about the main purpose of the visit and noted that special attention in the Development Strategy of the European Parliament until 2029 is paid to expanding cooperation with the states of Central Asia.
«Kyrgyzstan is a special country for us. Its achievements in the field of democracy in comparison with other states are significant. Therefore, the European Parliament is always interested in the development of established relations with the Kyrgyz Republic,» he said.
The parties also discussed issues in the field of human rights protection, preserving freedom of speech and strengthening regional security.
Recall, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on Kyrgyzstan in July.
The document notes that democratic standards and human rights in the country have «alarmingly deteriorated» in recent years. The Reporters Without Borders’ index for 2023 shows that the republic has dropped 50 positions down to 122nd place out of 180 countries.
The European Parliament called on the Kyrgyzstan’s authorities to respect and uphold fundamental freedoms, including freedom of the media and freedom of expression, in line with the EU — Kyrgyzstan Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement.