BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, April 16. The Open Society Foundations, founded by George Soros, have announced the closure of their fund in Kyrgyzstan, Trend reports.
As the organization explained, the decision comes in response to a new law imposing broad restrictions and limitations on the activities of local organizations funded by international sources.
The Open Society Foundations established the Soros-Kyrgyzstan Fund in 1993. Over the past three decades, the fund has allocated over $115 million to support various projects in the country, collaborating with both the government and civil society. These projects have spanned areas such as education, public healthcare, access to new digital technologies, criminal justice reform, legal aid systems, and more.
The new law, to which the organization refers, was signed by Kyrgyzstan's President Sadyr Zhaparov on April 2, aiming to regulate non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the country. According to the amendments, non-profit organizations receiving funding from abroad will be placed in a special registry.
Zhaparov justified the law by citing the necessity for accountability and transparency among NGOs in Kyrgyzstan. He highlighted concerns about the accountability and potential misuse of funds by NGOs operating in the country for decades without registration.
Despite objections from foreign donors, Zhaparov reassured that there would be no persecution of NGOs, emphasizing the government's commitment to transparency.