OSCE-supported study tour to Georgia enhances professionalism of Kyrgyz Government press officers

BISHKEK, 7 May 2015 – The OSCE Centre in Bishkek is supporting a three-day study tour to Georgia for Kyrgyz Government press officers to enhance their professional capacity in transparent communications policies development and implementation of access to information legislation starting today.

The participants include ten government press officers from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Emergency Situations, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Energy and Industry, and staff of Information Department of Prime Minister’s Office of the Kyrgyz Republic. They will be holding a series of meetings with counterparts in Georgia’s government as well as civil society organizations engaged in promotion of freedom of information. During the meetings two sides will exchange experience in building effective press services, government agencies’ communication with the public and mass media..

On May 8, the head of Information Department of Prime Minister’s Office of Kyrgyzstan Gulnura Toralieva will make a presentation on the government’s efforts in building dialogue with public at the Tbilisi School of Public Relations.

“Transparency of government bodies increases public trust and facilitates dialog between government and population. In this regard, we welcome the exchange of experience and good practices between the OSCE participating States," said Maciej Dachowski, Head of Politico-Military Department of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek.

The study tour is part of the Government press service reform project launched and implemented in cooperation with the Information Department at the Office of Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan since 2014.