Bishkek, Feb. 26, 2026 /Kabar/. The European Union wants to see Kyrgyzstan thrive, become prosperous and succeed, EU Special Envoy for Sanctions David O’Sullivan said on Thursday during a press briefing in Bishkek, answering journalists’ questions.
At the same time, he stressed that the EU highly values its overall relationship with the Kyrgyz Republic and views the country as an important partner.
O’Sullivan is currently visiting Kyrgyzstan to continue a constructive and substantive dialogue with Kyrgyz authorities on sanctions-related issues, as well as financial and economic cooperation.
“These are the issues which I would like to pursue in the course of my visits today, and there are problems. We acknowledge those problems, but I emphasize at the very beginning that what we value is our overall relationship with this country,” he said.
He underlined that the European Union sees Kyrgyzstan as both a trade and development partner and supports its long-term growth.
“We see it as a partner. We see it as a trading partner and as a development partner. We want to see this country thrive, become prosperous and succeed, and my job is to make sure that sanctions don't get in the way of that positive agenda. That's my message,” O’Sullivan noted.
According to the EU Special Envoy, discussions with the Kyrgyz government focus on certain measures that the EU believes may be necessary to address concerns related to sanctions circumvention.
“At the end of the day, it will be their decision, but we want to work with them in a constructive manner to address the issues that currently exist in relation to sanctions circumvention,” he added.