The Kyrgyz Republic is seen as the most democratic and open society in Central Asia, and one of the world’s most open economies. Its transition from a centrally planned to a market economy was one of the most remarkable in the region.

Unlike Kyrgyz Republic’s near and distant neighbors, the country has nonetheless remained a place where numerous international human rights organizations, domestic non-governmental organizations, oppositional forces, political parties and a relatively free media continue to operate.

Government authorities are elected by the people; the expertise, scope and functions of each authority are regulated by the constitution and laws. All citizens have inalienable rights and freedoms protected by courts. No racial or ethnic discrimination is allowed.

For a long time, foreign experts, politicians and political scientists considered Kyrgyz Republic a state that had firmly settled on a course of democratic reforms. As they saw it, Kyrgyz Republic was the country with the most developed civil society in its region. It was even called the island of democracy in the post-Soviet space. In practical terms, this was reflected in a fairly tolerant attitude of the authorities and the population of Kyrgyz Republic to numerous domestic and international organizations, among them human rights organizations carrying out activities in the country.