Bishkek, Feb. 26, 2025. /Kabar/. Today, President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Zhaparov received members of the European Parliament headed by Chairman of the Subcommittee on Human Rights Mounir Satouri.
A wide range of issues were discussed, including the further development of cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and the European Union, strengthening inter-parliamentary cooperation, protecting human rights and ensuring freedom of speech.
President Zhaparov especially emphasized that Kyrgyzstan and the European Union support constructive and multifaceted cooperation, covering both bilateral and regional initiatives. In recent years, a number of important high-level meetings and visits have taken place, including the signing of the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement.
At the same time, the president expressed regret that the republic is faced with a one-sided and subjective attitude, especially noticeable in the resolutions of the European Parliament on the situation in Kyrgyzstan.
"Freedom of speech and protection of human rights are key priorities of the Kyrgyz Republic. As an active participant in the international community and a member of the UN Human Rights Council, Kyrgyzstan consistently implements measures to strengthen democracy, the rule of law and compliance with international obligations.
In this regard, it is puzzling that when preparing these resolutions, the European side did not request clarifications or additional information from the Kyrgyz side," said Sadyr Zhaparov.
Chairman of the Subcommittee on Human Rights of the European Parliament, Mounir Satouri, expressed gratitude to the head of state for the reception and emphasized that strategic cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and the European Union is an important task. He confirmed his readiness for an open dialogue and added that the results of the meeting will make a significant contribution to further strengthening cooperation between the parties.
Mounir Satouri congratulated Sadyr Zhaparov on his achievements in resolving border issues with neighboring countries. He particularly noted that Kyrgyzstan fully complies with its international obligations, including the recommendations of the Venice Commission, and demonstrates its commitment to the principles of democracy and human rights.
He also expressed concern that civil society and freedom of speech are being restricted.
Members of the European Parliament also noted their concern over the detention of one of the members of the Social Democratic party of Kyrgyzstan.
In order to provide comprehensive information on the case, heads of law enforcement agencies of Kyrgyzstan were invited to the meeting, who answered in detail the questions of the members of the subcommittee on human rights.
Having heard information on the case of vote-buying, Sadyr Zhaparov noted that Kyrgyzstan is pursuing a multi-vector policy and strives for friendly and partnership relations with each country in Europe.
"Minor issues related to the activities of individual politicians should not become an obstacle to further deepening cooperation," the president emphasized.
Subcommittee Chairman Mounir Satouri supported the opinion of the head of state, noting that interaction between the parties should not be limited to issues of individual parties. He added that protests and demonstrations are taking place all over the world, and political figures are being detained everywhere. However, compared to European countries, Kyrgyzstan's judicial authorities demonstrated humanity by releasing those detained.
Charge d'Affaires of the European Union Delegation to Kyrgyzstan Hans Farnhammer emphasized the high level of interaction with the republic's government agencies. He said that Kyrgyzstan's ministries and departments are doing significant work to strengthen cooperation with the European Union.
Summing up the meeting, the head of state noted that dialogue with the European Union remains an important priority for Kyrgyzstan. He expressed hope that the meeting was fruitful and contributed to a constructive exchange of views.
President Sadyr Zhaparov also indicated that he expects that members of the European Parliament will convey objective and comprehensive information about the state of affairs in Kyrgyzstan to their colleagues and the European community as a whole.