Kyrgyz, Russian foreign ministers discuss preparations for intergovt. commission's meeting
BISHKEK. March 28 (Interfax) - Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Erlan Abdyldayev has discussed bilateral cooperation with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, on the sidelines of the international conference on Afghanistan in Tashkent, a spokesman for the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry told Interfax on Wednesday.
"A meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was held on Tuesday in the context of Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Abdyldayev's participation in the Tashkent conference on Afghanistan; the sides discussed topical aspects of Kyrgyz-Russian cooperation and interaction at international organizations," the spokesman said.
The ministers noted the sustainable and dynamic development of the bilateral strategic partnership and alliance, the spokesman said. "They also touched upon preparations for a meeting of the Kyrgyz-Russian intergovernmental commission," he said.
"Abdyldayev extended condolences to his colleague over the Kemerovo tragedy of March 25 and said that the people and government of Kyrgyzstan shared the grief of the families of the dead and people injured in the fire," the spokesman said.
On the sidelines of the Tashkent conference, Abdyldayev also met with the foreign ministers of Pakistan, India, and Turkey to discuss ways of stepping up cooperation and strengthening bilateral relations. Regional security was an item on the agenda, the ministry said.
Tashkent hosted a high-level international conference on security in Afghanistan on Tuesday. The conference titled Peace Process, Security Cooperation and Regional Connectivity was attended by representatives of the United States, the European Union, and the United Nations, as well as foreign ministers of Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Pakistan, India, China, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Turkmenistan.