U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Paul Kapur and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic Meder Abakirov led a round of United States-Kyrgyz Republic Annual Bilateral Consultations in Washington on Apr. 14. Both officials reaffirmed the strength of the relationship between the two countries and said they are committed to advancing cooperation in political, economic, and security areas.
The consultations are part of ongoing efforts to strengthen ties between the United States and the Kyrgyz Republic. Officials from both sides discussed opportunities to improve regional cooperation through the C5+1 diplomatic platform, which involves Central Asian states working with the United States.
During the meeting, U.S. representatives invited their counterparts from Kyrgyzstan to support reform initiatives at international organizations such as the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. The United States also welcomed increasing commercial connections with Kyrgyzstan, encouraging further economic reforms by its government.
The delegations addressed collaboration on immigration enforcement as well as ways to enhance security cooperation between their countries.
According to a statement released after the talks, "The United States reiterates its support for the Kyrgyz Republic’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity and looks forward to advancing opportunities for mutual prosperity this year."
