OSCE Secretary General And Kyrghyz President Discuss Regional Security And Development Of Democracy In Kyrghyzstan

Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Jan Kubis, who arrived in Bishkek on an official visit Tuesday, discussed with Kyrghyz President Askar Akayev problems of regional security and the development of democracy in the republic. According to Kubis, the sides "discussed all issues of cooperation between Kyrghyzstan and the Organization, including those connected with the not very positive political events, that took place in the republic last year". Kubis presented President Akayev with OSCE recommendations on how to do away with these phenomena. The OSCE Secretary General did not specify what the recommendations were about saying that they aim to promote "the development of democratic processes in the country along the ascending line". Kubis also noted that the issue of improving democratic processes in Kyrghyzstan were discussed at the meeting. He recalled that in 2000 the OSCE criticized the parliamentary and presidential election the republic held last year. According to OSCE experts, they did not meet international standards, particularly as to provision of equal conditions for opposition parties and their candidates in the election campaign. Regional security was another important issue of the meeting. As Kubis put it, "the OSCE could not ignore these problems, including drug smuggling from the region". The OSCE Secretary General's visit to Kyrghyzstan will last till Wednesday. On that day he will leave for Tajikistan's capital city of Dushanbe.

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