Bishkek, 20 April 2022 - The United Nations Development Programme in Kyrgyzstan provided technical support to the Consular Service of the Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic in Moscow of the Russian Federation to enhance access to public services for citizens of Kyrgyzstan staying in the Russian Federation.

Technical support was provided based on the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic due to the context of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, Kyrgyz citizens staying abroad have significantly reduced the number of trips to their home country. Accordingly, the number of applications to the consular services of the Kyrgyz Republic for the processing of various documents has increased significantly.

This increase was particularly observed in Russia, where according to official data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, in 2020 there were over 737,000 citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic on the migration registry, not including those illegally staying on the territory of Russia. In order to expand the capacity of the consular department for processing, producing and issuing documents, the Embassy has increased the area of the department premises.

In December 2021 scanners, computers, printers, video cameras and photographic equipment were handed over to provide services to our compatriots in the renovated Consular Section. The availability of the new equipment has made it possible to improve the speed of service to citizens. According to the Consular Service representatives nowadays up to 500 people a day receive public services and by the end of the last year there were performed about 100 thousand consular acts. For example, while previously citizens had difficulty providing high quality photographs for documents on the first try and it took several days, this service is now available in the Consular Section office of the Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic in the Russian Federation.

The UNDP is helping the people of Kyrgyzstan to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

Photos of the technical equipment are available at: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzLbUY.

***

Media contacts: Nurzhan Alymkanova, UNDP Communications Officer, nurzhan.alymkanova@undp.org