Chair of the UK’s Foreign Affairs Committee Alicia Kearns and member of the committee Neil Coyle arrived in Kyrgyzstan. They met with journalists on Friday.

According to Alicia Kearns, the main purpose of the visit was to see how relations between the UK and Central Asian countries could be improved.

She stressed that all meetings, including negotiations with the speaker of the Parliament Nurlan Shakiev, were very successful.

Alicia Kearns also told about the businessmen supported by the UK.

Alicia Kearns, answering journalists’ questions, stressed that she and Neil Coyle met with representatives of civil society. «We wanted to understand how this sector works here, at what stage the country is, what can be improved here in terms of human rights and civil liberties. We were told about the tendencies of conservatism in particular in relation to women,» she said.

The key to a successful and healthy democracy is the authorities’ openness to constructive criticism.

Alicia Kearns

Her colleague Neil Coyle noted that they were also interested in how the UK could help to improve the situation.

Members of the UK Parliament also stressed that the authorities of the Kyrgyz Republic have an understanding that it is prohibited to re-export to Russia dual-use goods that the Russian Federation can use in building up weapons against Ukraine. Alicia Kearns added that there is a list of nine products and it is known to the government of Kyrgyzstan.

«Here they realize the wrongness of violating the sanctions regime,» Alicia Kearns concluded.