On April 13, 2021, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic Ruslan Kazakbaev met with the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden Mrs. Ann Linde, who is visiting Kyrgyzstan as part of a tour in Central Asia.

This visit is highly symbolic, as it coincided with the elections of deputies of local keneshes and the constitutional referendum, which took place on April 11, 2021.

During the meeting, a constructive exchange of views took place on a wide range of issues including international and regional security and the current state and prospects of cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and the OSCE.

In particular, Minister Ruslan Kazakbayev noted that the Kyrgyz Republic views the OSCE as an important platform for an equal dialogue on security and cooperation issues.

It is stated that the fight against corruption and organized crime, digitalization, and effective governance, reform of the judicial and law enforcement systems are the main conditions for the development of the Kyrgyz Republic.

The development of the national electoral process was highlighted as a positive example of cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and the OSCE. The joint work of the observer missions of the ODIHR and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly during the presidential elections and referendum on January 10, 2021, was highly appreciated.

The mutually beneficial cooperation of the state bodies of the Kyrgyz Republic and the OSCE Program Office in Bishkek was especially noted. As well as activities of the OSCE Academy in Bishkek, particularly its further expansion and strengthening of research potential.

Parties reaffirmed their mutual intention to continue constructive cooperation to further support democratic processes and strengthen the country's stability and security.

In addition, during the today’s meeting relevant issues of cooperation between the Kyrgyz Republic and Sweden were also discussed. Parties underscored the importance of relations development on both multilateral and bilateral levels.

The Kyrgyz Republic stressed its interest in the Swedish experience in combating corruption and cooperation in the field of ecology and environmental protection.

The Swedish party also highlighted the importance of holding the first European Union-Central Asia Economic Forum in Bishkek this year, which will give the right impulse to activate the economic recovery in the short term and mitigate post-pandemic negative consequences in the long term.

In conclusion, both parties emphasized the importance of establishing and maintaining a permanent political dialogue between the countries, including cooperation at the level of foreign policy bodies. In this regard, the interest in holding the first inter-ministerial political consultations was expressed.