The primary aim of the workshops was to raise awareness of the EU sanctions and their application, and to prevent possible circumvention of these measures. The meeting on the first day gathered government officials, while the workshop on the second day was targeted to Kyrgyz private operators interested in improving their awareness of EU sanctions.

The acting Head of EU Delegation to Kyrgyzstan Ms Lene Volkersen said the following:

“I am delighted that so many people from Kyrgyz authorities and private sector chose to attend the EU Sanctions Training Seminar this week. It has been great to witness the strong Kyrgyz interest in understanding how EU sanctions work. The ultimate goal of the EU’s sanctions against Russia is to undermine its ability to continue waging war against Ukraine, and we welcome that Kyrgyzstan is not willing to be used as a platform for sanctions circumvention. We look forward to continuing this dialogue with government authorities as well as private sector”. 

The training workshops were conducted by a team of EU representatives and sanctions experts, and consisted of presentations and interactive questions and answers sessions.