AKIPRESS.COM - During a ceremony today at the Military Hospital of the Ministry of Defense (MoD) of the Kyrgyz Republic, the U.S. Embassy in the Kyrgyz Republic delivered an X-ray machine to the Kyrgyz Armed Forces with a total monetary value of over $100,000. This equipment will help Ministry’s medical staff to help support peacekeeping operations, US Embassy said.

At the ceremony, U.S. Embassy Bishkek’s Chargé D’Affaires, Sonata Coulter was joined by COL Akylbek Ibraev, Deputy Minister of Defense, and other Kyrgyz military officials.

CDA Coulter said that the equipment delivery contributes to the 30 years of cooperation between the U.S. and the Kyrgyz Republic, adding, “Today, we celebrate the first delivery of equipment to the Kyrgyz Ministry of Defense since 2017, and hope that this is a sign of closer partnership to come, working together on important shared priorities such as border security and counterterrorism.”

At the ceremony, COL Ibraev thanked the United States for the equipment donation and expressed hope that this equipment would improve the operational capabilities of the Kyrgyz Armed Forces, when conducting United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations.

The equipment was provided within the framework of the U.S. Global Peace Operations Initiative. The mission of this program is to strengthen international capacity and capabilities to execute UN and regional peace operations by enhancing partner countries’ sustainable, self-sufficient peace operations. U.S.-Kyrgyz cooperation on security related issues has been ongoing for 30 years addressing a variety of different challenges, including disaster preparedness, and countering transnational threats.