Bishkek, June 26, 2026. /Kabar/. On June 25, First Deputy Foreign Minister Asein Isaev met with the newly appointed Regional Representative of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for Central Asia, Mahir Safarli, in Bishkek.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the current state and prospects of cooperation were discussed during the meeting.
During the meeting, Asein Isaev congratulated Mahir Safarli on his appointment and expressed his readiness to further develop the constructive dialogue between Kyrgyzstan and UNHCR. Kyrgyz side emphasized its commitment to the international obligations assumed within the framework of the Global Refugee Forum.
Mahir Safarli praised Kyrgyzstan's achievements in becoming the only country in the world to have completely resolved the issue of statelessness, and noted the measures taken to introduce a machine-readable travel document for officially recognized refugees in accordance with ICAO standards. He also emphasized the high level of technical readiness of the Kyzmat State Institution, which made it possible to implement this initiative.
It was particularly noted that Kyrgyzstan's efforts are fully consistent with international norms and standards for ensuring basic rights for stateless persons, including the right to education, medical care, employment, and other social guarantees.
Following the meeting, the parties also confirmed their mutual interest in further developing cooperation and strengthening partnerships in refugee protection, preventing statelessness, and developing practical cooperation in the humanitarian sphere.