Twaalfde bijeenkomst samenwerkingsraad EU en Kirgizië (en)

COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

Brussels, 21 November 2013 (OR. en) PRESSE 498

Twelfth meeting of the Cooperation Council between the European Union and the Kyrgyz Republic

The Cooperation Council between the European Union (EU) and the Kyrgyz Republic held its twelfth meeting on Thursday, 21 November 2013. The meeting was chaired by Mr Erlan ABDYLDAEV, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic. The EU delegation was led by Mr Linas LINKEVIČIUS, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania

The twelfth Cooperation Council took stock of the developments and progress made since the eleventh Cooperation Council between the EU and the Kyrgyz Republic in February 2010. The Cooperation Council reaffirmed the commitment of both parties to see the EU-Kyrgyz Republic relations strengthen across a number of areas, in the context of the bilateral Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, which still needs to be fully exploited, and the overall framework provided by the EU Strategy for Central Asia

The Cooperation Council welcomed progress achieved in the implementation of the EU Strategy for Central Asia both on the regional and national basis, which allowed for a new quality of cooperation to evolve between the EU and the Kyrgyz Republic, and welcomed active engagement of the Kyrgyz Republic in the EU regional initiatives and programmes. The Cooperation Council took stock of the progress under the flagship initiatives such as Rule of Law, Education and Water and Environment

The Cooperation Council discussed a number of issues of importance to both parties, including political reforms, economy and trade, energy, transport as well as common threats and challenges. The Cooperation Council exchanged views on the areas where the EU can share experience and provide support. The Cooperation Council noted considerable potential for expanding trade and investment ties and the importance of predictable economic and legal environment

The Cooperation Council discussed the importance of the rule of law reform, the human rights and inter-ethnic reconciliation for sustainable development of the country and the significant role the civil society plays in this process. The EU commended the efforts made by the authorities of the Kyrgyz Republic to pursue the democratic reform in a challenging environment. The EU called upon the Kyrgyzstani authorities to take further steps to address human rights concerns. The EU welcomed determination by the Kyrgyz Republic to further improve electoral system and encouraged Kyrgyzstani authorities to take steps to implement the lessons of previous elections to ensure upcoming elections meet international standards. The EU re-affirmed the commitment to further support the consolidation of democratic and socio-economic reforms in the Kyrgyz Republic and actions to promote inter-ethnic reconciliation

The Cooperation Council discussed regional developments and international issues, including situation in Afghanistan. The Cooperation Council underlined the importance of regional cooperation as an effective means of ensuring stability and socio-economic development in the region