Newly appointed Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek meets Interior Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic

The newly appointed Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek, Alexey Rogov, and Minister of Interior of the Kyrgyz Republic, Ulan Niyazbekov, met on 3 June 2021 in Bishkek.

They discussed further co-operation in strengthening community policing, combating organized crime, preventing drug abuse, transnational threats, and combating violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism. Further support through capacity-building initiatives for the Ministry of Interior (MoI) officers and staff members was also discussed.

Minister Niyazbekov expressed his appreciation of the co-operation between the Ministry and the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek, especially the Programme Office’s contribution to fighting crime, supporting public safety in Kyrgyzstan, and helping increase public confidence in the police through transparency. Minister Niyazbekov especially noted the Mobile Police Receptions project that has been implemented across Kyrgyzstan: “Ten years ago, within the framework of the Community Security Initiative project, the first mobile police receptions began to work in Kyrgyzstan. They were launched to reach citizens living in remote areas, far from state administrative institutions and organizations. They have demonstrated their effectiveness in the prevention of crimes and offenses.”

Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek Rogov stressed that the Interior Ministry remains one of the main state partners for the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek. He assured that the Programme Office intends to continue to support the Ministry on a wide range of issues, including those related to COVID-19 and its consequences, and the fight against domestic and gender-based violence.

Niyazbekov expressed the Ministry’s commitment to preventing all forms of gender-based and domestic violence. He noted that the MoI has already appointed Elmira Isakova, Deputy Head of Directorate for Legal Issues and International Co-operation of the MoI, as the new Gender Focal Point responsible for working on gender issues and initiatives.