SRSG Natalia Gherman visits Kyrgyzstan

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan

Special Representative of the UN Secretary General, Head of UNRCCA, Natalia Gherman, visited the Kyrgyz Republic on 20 April.

She met with First Deputy Foreign Minister D.Kemelova and exchanged views on political and security developments in Central Asia. On this occasion Kemelova praised the active role of UNRCCA in promoting dialogue among Central Asian states.

Possible concerted actions and partnership to overcome challenges faced by the Kyrgyz Republic and the other Central Asian states such as terrorism and violent extremism were also discussed, including within the third phase of the regional Counter Terrorism initiative conducted by UNRCCA jointly with the UN Centre for Counter Terrorism “Towards a Comprehensive Implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in Central Asia”. Touching upon the issue of water management in the region, SRSG Gherman expressed UNRCCA’s readiness to further conduct inclusive water diplomacy activities as well as to support a compromise over this important issue. She thanked the Kyrgyz MFA for hosting the training seminar “Ensuring equitable utilization and effective management of transboundary watercourses and Public Private Partnerships for infrastructure development”, recently conducted in Bishkek.

SRSG Gherman also met with EU Special Representative P.Burian and OSCE Conflict Prevention Center’s Director M.Pesko in a trilateral format and discussed current regional dynamics and the potential for regional cooperation. She briefed her interlocutors on UNRCCA’s ongoing and planned activities with a view to increasing coordination between the three organizations.

While in Bishkek, the SRSG also took part in the OSCE’s Regional Heads of Missions Meeting Central Asia, and, as a keynote speaker, delivered a presentation on opportunities for regional and cross border cooperation in Central Asia. She also exchanged views and analysis with OSCE field mission representatives, institutions, and invited EU officials, on political and security development in Central Asia.