On November 9, 2017, the branch of the Aarhus Center in Bishkek – Issyk-Kul Center was opened. The opening ceremony was attended by the Ambassador, Head of the OSCE Office in Bishkek – Mr. Pierre von Arx, a senior program adviser of the OSCE office in Bishkek – Nana Baramidze, Environmental Advisor –  D.Prudtskih , deputy director of the State Environmental Protection Agency and Forestry Management of the government of the Kyrgyz Republic – A.Ryspekov, head of the state administration Issyk-Kul region  – D.Imanaliev, head of the Aarhus Centre in Bishkek – A.Nurbekov, representatives of environmental services in the region, non-governmental organizations and the public.

After the official opening ceremony of the Center, a round table was held on the topic “Opening of the Issyk-Kul’s Aarhus Center – a step towards achieving the results of the basic principles of the Aarhus Convention in Kyrgyzstan”.

At the beginning of the work of the round table with welcome words were made by guests. They noted the importance of opening a new office and expanding the network of Aarhus Centers. All speakers noted that the region has a number of problems in the issues of preserving the environment and it is necessary to take more serious and productive measures both from the state and the public. It is necessary to involve the entire community in decisive measures to protect the environment and create favorable environment for all residents and visitors of the region. Issyk-Kul’s Aarhus Center can play a role in this matter.

First [resemmntaion was made by coordinator of the Aarhus Convention in Kyrgyzstan, N. Baydaykova, the head of the Strategic Planning Department of the Environmental Strategy and Policy Department of the State Agency for Environmental Protection and Forestry under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic, who told avout implementation of the Aarhus Convention in the Kyrgyz Republic, the tasks and provisions of the Convention.

Head of the Aarhus Center in Bishkek A.Nurbekov presented to the participants of the round table information about the activities of the Aarhus Center in Bishkek, about the work done and about future plans. He noted that Issyk-Kul’s Aarhus Center will officially be a branch of the Bishkek office.

The coordinator of the Issyk-Kul’s Aarhus Center S.Tursunakunov acquainted the participants of the roundtable on the main directions of work and plans of activities that will be implemented in the future.

In the second part of the round table, the consultants of the OSCE Office in Bishkek A.Alamanov and G.Borubaeva conducted a presentation on “The review of policy and institutional framework in the field of the environment and their financing in the Issyk-Kul region”. They told the audience about the analysis carried out in the region and voiced their recommendations on improving financing for environmental activities from both the republican budget and local funds.

At the end of the round table, the participants discussed the issues, the protection and cleanliness of Issyk-Kul lake, the work of the local state administration and local authorities in the protection of the environment, tasks of environmental services to improve the environmental situation in the region, and its recommendations and proposals to the Issyk-Kul’s Aarhus Center.

At the end of the round table, representatives of non-governmental organizations and public visited office of the Issyk-Kul’s Aarhus Center