Bakhti Nishanov joined the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe as a senior policy advisor in 2021. He serves as a Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, and the OSCE’s Mediterranean Partners specialist. Prior to joining the Helsinki Commission, Bakhti served as Deputy Director for Eurasia at the International Republican Institute, where he helped oversee a portfolio of democracy and governance programs. Prior to that, he covered Central Asia at Freedom House’s headquarters and its offices in Uzbekistan, and held numerous consultative positions with the World Bank, USAID, and other organizations. He is fluent in Russian, Uzbek and Turkish.