Marshall Center alumni in Kyrgyzstan gathered in Bishkek May 15 for a roundtable on border security issues. Approximately 25 alumni, members of the U.S. Embassy staff, and others took part in the meeting at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Alumni attended from Kyrgyzstan’s Ministries of Defense, Foreign Affairs, and Interior, as well as from the State Border Service, National Guard, Parliament staff, and Diplomatic Academy.

Mr. Lee Litzenberger, U.S. Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission, made opening remarks, joined by MG (Ret.) Justus Graebner, German Deputy Director of the Marshall Center, and COL (Ret.) Toktogul Kakchekeyev, a Marshall Center graduate (EP 1994-1) who spoke on behalf of the Marshall Center Alumni Association in Kyrgyzstan. Dr. Greg Gleason, Marshall Center Professor of Eurasian Security Studies, spoke on current security issues affecting Kyrgyzstan and the region. Following Dr. Gleason’s remarks, brief presentations were made by Ambassador Avazbek Atakhanov, former Kyrgyz Ambassador to Iran, and Mr. Bakyt Baketaev, Marshall Center alumnus (EP 2004-5).

The roundtable provided a public forum for Marshall Center alumni to discuss border security and other issues relevant to Kyrgyzstan and the region. This was the second such event, planned primarily for the Marshall Center alumni in Kyrgyzstan. The first event took place in March 2006.

Click to enlarge Mr. Lee Litzenberger, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek, makes opening remarks. Seated next to him is MG (Ret.) Justus Graebner, German Deputy Director of the Marshall Center.	Click to enlarge Following Mr. Litzenberger’s remarks, MG (Ret.) Graebner welcomes the alumni to the event.	Click to enlarge On behalf of the Marshall Center Alumni Association in Kyrgyzstan, COL (Ret.) Toktogul Kakchekeyev (EP 1994-1) addresses the alumni.
Click to enlarge Approximately 25 Marshall Center alumni from Kyrgyzstan (and one from Kazakhstan) attended the event at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Bishkek.	Click to enlarge Following opening remarks, Dr. Greg Gleason, Marshall Center Professor of Eurasian Security Studies, spoke to the alumni on current security issues affecting Kyrgyzstan and the region.	Click to enlarge Marshall Center alumnus Mr. Bakyt Baketaev (EP 2004-5) also spoke at the event on regional security in Central Asia.
Click to enlarge Mr. Saktanbek Kadyraliev (EP 2000-1, left), recently returned from an assignment at Kyrgyzstan’s embassy in New Delhi, India, enjoys a short break with Mr. Duishon Satybaldiev (EPASS 2006-1).	Click to enlarge Two generations of Marshall Center alumni pose for a quick photo: COL (Ret.) Toktogul Kakchekeyev (EP 1994-1, right) with son Bakyt Kakchekeyev (LC 2000-5).	Click to enlarge Nurlan Kydyrov (LC 1998-3) takes a moment to look through information on Marshall Center resident courses.
Click to enlarge Toktogul Kakchekeyev and Dr. Gleason speak together after the roundtable.	Click to enlarge COL Janybek Kaparov (EP 2004-1, left) and LT Asylbek Abdygulov (LPASS 2007-4) enjoy a moment together after the roundtable.	Click to enlarge COL Kubanychbek Omorov (EP 2002-1, left) and COL Nurgazy Kuldjaev (PTSS 2007-5) chat before the roundtable.

Click to enlarge Most of the event attendees were captured in three side-by-side photos, artfully pieced together here by the Marshall Center’s photographer, Karlheinz Wedhorn.

Click to enlarge Mr. Saktanbek Kadyraliev (EP 2000-1), Mr. Aleksandr Anufriev (LC 2002-3), and Dr. Leonid Bondarets (EP 1995-1) gather to continue the discussion.