AKIPRESS.COM - A two-day conference on "Building cooperation and reducing conflicts between stakeholders in the mining industry" started today on the shore of Lake Issyk-Kul. The goal of the conference is to develop ideas to prevent conflicts and strengthen cooperation among authorities, mining companies, and local communities. Representatives of national and local government, mining companies, international groups, and non-governmental organizations are participating, the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek said.

The conference has been organized by the State Agency of Geology and Mineral Resources in partnership with the Local Transparency and Cooperation Initiative Program, implemented by the Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia (EFCA) with financial support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

This conference is a follow up to a round table discussion on “Effective cooperation between local populations and investors” with Prime Minister Joomart Otorbaev in June 2014. Round table participants encouraged regular meetings among stakeholders to improve cooperation between mining companies and local communities. "It is possible to reduce the risk of conflict through transparency in the work of state agencies and private mining companies, and through public awareness campaigns," said the Director of the State Agency for Geology and Mineral Resources, Duyshenbek Zilaliev.

Conference attendees will also hear about the USAID Local Transparency and Cooperation Initiative Program