Third meeting of Central Asian and Russian FMs held via video conference

Bishkek, Oct. 16, 2020 /Kabar/. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan Ruslan Kazakbayev took part in the Third Meeting of Foreign Ministers of Central Asian states and Russia in the format of video conference. According to the press service of the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry, during the meeting Central Asian and Russian foreign ministers congratulated Kazakbayev on his appointment as Kyrgyzstan’s Foreign Minister, wished him further successes in his responsible activity and expressed hope for early settlement of the situation in the republic. During his welcoming speech, Minister Kazakbayev made a statement of the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry on the recent events in republic related to the parliamentary elections which were held with violations of the electoral process, falsification, vote buying and use of administrative resources, which subsequently resulted in popular protests. Further, in accordance with the Agenda for the Third Meeting of Foreign Ministers of Central Asian states and Russia, the parties discussed issues related to the coronavirus pandemic and its consequences, ensuring regional security, development and capacity building of trade, economic and investment cooperation, cultural and humanitarian interaction, as well as migration issues between Central Asian states and the Russian Federation. The importance of early restoration of economic and humanitarian interaction through full resumption of air and railway communication between the states was noted. Appreciation was expressed for the invaluable assistance rendered by Russia and Central Asian countries to Kyrgyzstan in the fight against coronavirus infection. Following the Third Meeting of the Central Asian and Russian FMs, a statement on strategic directions of cooperation was adopted.