Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova held talks with Deputy Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Edil Baisalov on the sidelines of the St Petersburg International Cultural Forum.

Ms Golikova started by welcoming Mr Baisalov to St Petersburg, noting that Kyrgyzstan is Russia’s reliable partner and ally, and that the two countries have traditionally maintained friendly relations.

“The official visit by President of the Kyrgyz Republic to Russia, and the reciprocal visit by the President of Russia to the Kyrgyz Republic in 2023 were among the year’s key events, paving the way for the adoption of important strategic documents. Our main task now is to ensure that both sides strictly abide by these top-level agreements,” Ms Golikova pointed out.

The two officials discussed topical matters dealing with socioeconomic and humanitarian cooperation in culture, education, healthcare, sport, youth affairs, language, as well as their respective migration policies. Tatyana Golikova reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to fostering deeper relations with Kyrgyzstan in all their aspects and generating positive momentum in expanding bilateral ties.

Ms Golikova went on to thank Mr Baisalov for Kyrgyzstan’s successful CIS chairmanship in 2023, which included several major events and resulted in the adoption of a solid package of documents on political and economic matters, law enforcement, as well as cultural and humanitarian affairs.