OSCE supports study tour to Turkey for representatives of Kyrgyzstan’s Interior Ministry
BISHKEK, 14 October 2016 – A delegation of Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Interior consisting of Witness Protection Department officers and members of the working group on creating the State Witness Protection Programme (2017-2020) completed its five-day OSCE-supported study visit to Turkey today.
During the visit to Istanbul and Ankara, the Witness Protection Department officers learned best practices and obtained experience in further developing the Programme. An inter-departmental agreement on co-operation is expected to be developed between Kyrgyz Ministry of Interior and the Turkish National Police.
“The OSCE Centre in Bishkek has been supporting the Witness Protection Department since its establishment in 2014. We believe that exchanging experience will have a positive impact on the development of this Programme in Kyrgyzstan,” said Pavel Khalashnyuk, Head of Police Affairs of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek. “We will continue to support initiatives of Interior Ministry on establishing effective inter-departmental relations and in developing the Programme for 2017-2020.”
Zainiddin Aitaliev, Head of the Witness Protection Department under the Interior Ministry , said: “Following a previous study tour to get acquainted with witness protection programme of the Russian Federation, we have made several improvements and introduced positive changes into our state Programme. I believe that there are good prospects for further enhancing the Programme and this study tour will help us in this.” He also acknowledged the OSCE Centre in Bishkek’s continuous support in this regard.
The study visit was implemented in co-operation with the Turkish National Police and is part of the OSCE Centre’s project on combating organized crime.