International Conference

«Conflicts in the Caucasus: History, the Present and Prospects for Resolution»

Baku (Azerbaijan) 22-23 October, 2012 and Tbilisi (Georgia) 25-26 October, 2012

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INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Askar BESHIMOV, Muratbek BAIKHOJOEV

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Askar Beshimov, Kyrgyz Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs (Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan)

Muratbek Baikhjoev, Director of the Department of International Organizations and Security, Kyrgyzstan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan)

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The country’s foreign policy clearly manifested trends which indicate the beginning of a new stage in its international affairs. The change in regime is over, and although it is impossible to predict what will happen next, the main factors defining the state’s further development are already obvious. The republic’s current leadership has set itself three main tasks: augmenting diplomatic efforts to ensure Kyrgyzstan’s security; orienting foreign political activity toward creating favorable conditions for stimulating the economy; and forming Kyrgyzstan’s new image on the international arena.

Implementation of this course is being assisted by the integration processes taking place in the Commonwealth of Independent States, which have significantly intensified recently. In particular, an important event in the CIS was the regular session of the Council of Heads of Member States (Kazan) and Governments (Moscow). The main documents adopted at the Council, including those on cooperation in fighting terrorism for 2005-2007, counteracting illegal migration for 2006-2008, concepts of interaction in the military sphere until 2010, drawing up border policy for the Commonwealth states, and fighting violent forms of extremism, show that cooperation among the member states is intensifying. To these, we should also add the agreements on a unified budget for the CIS structures for 2006; on a set of mid-term measures for advancing competitive commodities manufactured by national producers onto the CIS domestic market and the markets of third countries until 2010; on the conception for forming a common electric power market, and much more.

Along with this, we will note the heightened intensity of Kyrgyzstan’s dialog with its strategic partner, Russia. Graphic evidence of this was Kyrgyzstan President Kurmanbek Bakiev’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, working visits to Moscow by the republic’s Prime Minister Felix Kulov, foreign minister, and heads of other departments, the signing of several bilateral agreements, and the celebration of the Kyrgyzstan Days festival in Moscow, among others. Our countries intend to cooperate on a deeper level, consistently reinforce alliance and strategic partnership relations, maintain a regular political dialog, encourage direct contacts between the heads of the two countries’ executive and legislative power bodies, and expand ties in the trade and economic, military, military-technical, scientific and technical, and humanitarian spheres, as well as in investing Russian capital in building hydropower plants, producing gas and other natural minerals, and developing transport and tourism in the republic. In order to achieve these goals, delegations of different levels from Moscow visited Kyrgyzstan with specific business projects, as a result of which the implementation of several economic and humanitarian initiatives, the creation of joint ventures for attracting capital into the republic’s oil and gas industry, and the revival and reconstruction of existing facilities have already begun. There are plans to carry out these tasks using, in particular, the potential of the EurAsEC and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

One of the most important areas in Kyrgyzstan’s foreign policy was strengthening relations with its closest neighbors. President Kurmanbek Bakiev and Prime Minister Felix Kulov paid working visits to Kazakhstan, and their meetings with the leaders of this country made it possible to open up vast opportunities for intensifying economic integration. The problems created by the shortage of fuel and lubricants, labor migration, and much more, which have become a headache for many, are beginning to be resolved.

The dialog between Presidents Kurmanbek Bakiev and Islam Karimov in St. Petersburg ended in them stating their intention to replenish Kyrgyz-Uzbek relations with new content. In particular, the heads of government plan to pay reciprocal visits in the near future, contacts are to be established at the foreign ministry and other government structure levels, and joint measures are to be adopted to stabilize the situation on the Kyrgyz-Uzbek state border. The heads of state agreed to focus priority attention on expanding trade and economic relations and noted the importance of activating and elaborating urgent issues regarding economic interaction within the framework of an intergovernmental commission on bilateral cooperation.

Evidence of the deepening bilateral relations between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan was the talks between Kurmanbek Bakiev (who was acting president and prime minister of the country at that time) and the Tajik leadership held on 18 May, confirming the desire of both countries to develop traditional good neighborly and mutually advantageous contacts in all spheres. The sides showed mutual interest in efficiently using the potential of both republics not only at the political, but also at the economic level. Two events confirmed these strivings. The first was the signing of an intergovernmental agreement on the mutual transfer of land for building high-voltage power transmission lines and roads. The second was the opening of the Batken-Kanibadam energy bridge, which will make it possible to improve power supply to these densely populated areas. What is more, in power engineering, the sides intend to carry out a mutually advantageous policy which involves investments by international financial institutions, donor countries, as well as the joint export of electric power to third countries. At the Dushanbe meeting of ministers responsible for foreign economic activity, a mechanism was approved for implementing a plan of action aimed at the further economic development of our states.

As for cooperation with Western countries, Kyrgyzstan is paying keen attention to security issues. Unfortunately, the situation in Afghanistan cannot be described as calm, and it is difficult to predict the further development of affairs in this country, since even after the presidential and parliamentary elections, Islamic extremists continue to carry out raids initiated by al-Qa‘eda and the Taliban. Kyrgyzstan is supporting the U.S.-led operation of the antiterrorist coalition by offering it the use of an airbase close to Bishkek. Keeping in mind national interests, Kyrgyzstan’s leadership intends to review the agreement with Washington regarding the technical and financial conditions for staying on at this airbase. This question was discussed in particular during the visits to Kyrgyzstan by U.S. State Secretary Condoleezza Rice and other high-ranking White House officials.

The U.S. and the European Union are interested in strengthening bilateral partnership with Kyrgyzstan, which U.S. State Secretary Condoleezza Rice and European Union Commission Deputy General Director for Foreign Relations Michael Lee repeatedly stated. During the summit meetings, a decision was made to include Kyrgyzstan as a threshold state in the list of member states of the Millennium Challenge Account program for the 2006 fiscal year. The EUC also adopted a decision on allotting Kyrgyzstan one million Euros in additional aid, as well as 18 million Euros for the Food Safety program being prepared for 2005-2006.

Bilateral talks with the French government made it possible to begin restructuring the foreign debt, with the German government—to begin implementing projects in public health, the economy, and with respect to writing off the debt, and with the Danish government—to develop cooperation under the Kyoto Protocol to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change. Along with this, the Kyrgyzstan leadership and Swedish government ratified a Special Agreement on the Support of Training/Development of Social Work with Risk Group Children in Kyrgyzstan.

Kyrgyzstan’s historical, spiritual, and cultural affiliation with the Islamic world makes it necessary to activate bilateral and multilateral cooperation with the Arab states, including within the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). (The long stagnation in contacts between Kyrgyzstan and the Arab world requires major reconsideration of their former approaches and mechanisms.) For example, a policy aimed at strengthening Kyrgyz-Saudi and Kyrgyz-Arab relations as a whole was designated during the meeting held in September in New York between Kyrgyzstan President Kurmanbek Bakiev and crown prince of Saudi Arabia. The participation of State Secretary of the Kyrgyz Republic Dastan Sarygulov in the special OIC summit in Mecca gave a significant boost to the republic’s cooperation with the Arab countries. For the first time in the history of Kyrgyz-Saudi relations, a ceremony was held where the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ali Al-Hamdan awarded letters of credit.

The visit to Bishkek by Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Japanese House of Representatives Yoshiaki Harada was of important political significance. During the meetings with the Kyrgyz leadership, the Japanese side gave a positive assessment of the policy of the country’s new leadership and expressed its willingness to support the reforms aimed at developing democracy and market reforms in the republic.

The visit by a Kyrgyz parliamentary delegation headed by Parliament Speaker Omurbek Tekebaev to Thailand for the 6th assembly of the Association of Asian Parliaments for peace, as well as meetings between this delegation and several high-ranking representatives of East Asian states indicated Kyrgyzstan’s interest in participating in the resolution of urgent political and socioeconomic problems of regional development in Asia both in the multilateral and bilateral format.

As for the PRC, it can be said that bilateral relations have increased in the trade and economic, political, and cultural-humanitarian spheres. Kyrgyzstan President Kurmanbek Bakiev’s meeting with Chairman of the People’s Republic of China Hu Jintao, official and working visits by ministers, and the exchange of delegations in different areas of activity are graphic evidence of this increase.

Kyrgyzstan is paying great attention to participation in the work of international organizations, particularly in the U.N. structures. A significant event of the year was the U.N. summit on the 60th anniversary of its creation, which was attended by a Kyrgyz delegation headed by the country’s president. In his speeches at this summit, Kurmanbek Bakiev highlighted the events of the year in the republic, went into detail about the main aspects of its cooperation with the U.N., and presented official Bishkek’s proposals with respect to the main international problems concerning the world community. They included fighting terrorism, reinforcing conditions for ensuring the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, eliminating poverty, reforming the United Nations, and so on. This visit laid a new foundation for developing cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and the U.N., which was noted during the meetings with the Organization’s Secretary General Kofi Annan and UNDP Administrator Kemal Dervish. What is more, Kurmanbek Bakiev took part in the opening ceremony of the U.N. Foundation of Democracy organized by U.S. President George Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and also held several other bilateral meetings.

The most important practical result of the work aimed at carrying out the proposals voiced by the Kyrgyzstan president was the presentation by the Kyrgyz Republic, Switzerland, and 42 other co-sponsor countries of a coordinated draft of the resolution on “Sustainable Mountain Development,” which was adopted unanimously on 13 December by the Second Committee of the U.N. General Assembly and approved by the U.N. General Assembly on 22 December. The coordinated draft of the resolution on the sustainable development of the mountain republics within the framework of “Mountain Partnership” was supported by other international organizations and leading countries: the EU, Group-77, the African Union, the PRC, RF, U.S., Japan, the CIS republics, the Latin American states, and many others. Such impressive support by the world community of Kyrgyzstan’s foreign policy efforts to press through the Kyrgyz-Swiss draft of the resolution is undoubtedly definite guarantee of its further progress.

Kyrgyzstan is taking the most direct part in the activity of the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), including in the sphere relating to important aspects of Kyrgyzstan’s security. And the national revolution of 24 March gave a new boost to these relations. For example, as a result of OSCE visits, which were regular and quite intensive in nature, an OSCE Working Plan for the Kyrgyz Republic was signed, which is aimed at implementing short- and long-term programs to assist in holding transparent, free, and fair elections; at ensuring safe borders and resolving the transborder problems of the Central Asian countries; at reforming the interior affairs bodies; at fighting corruption; and at ensuring freedom of speech and the development of the mass media. Among the measures already implemented, which have had a direct influence on the sociopolitical situation in the republic, we will note the following: a media center has been opened for improving access to information in remote regions of Kyrgyzstan; a series of meetings was held on interaction among business circles, NGOs, and the government in order to ensure sustainable development of Kyrgyzstan’s economy; visits of groups of European and American journalists were organized to promote the development of tourism in Kyrgyzstan; a conference was held to stimulate investments and create new jobs in the southern regions of the republic; a seminar was organized for the unemployed with the aim of teaching them how to find a job, raise their qualifications, acquire new skills, and so on.

The Europe-Kyrgyzstan dialog which took place in Austria helped the international community to respond with understanding to the events in the republic, and Kurmanbek Bakiev’s (at that time he was acting president and prime minister) working visit to Vienna confirmed that the OSCE’s interest in Kyrgyzstan is not declining, but, on the contrary, is growing. This was eloquently stated by the participants in a special session of the OSCE Permanent Council, which positively evaluated the Kyrgyz delegation head’s speech, thus giving the republic and its new leadership its due. We will note that at this meeting Kurmanbek Bakiev described in detail the republic’s tasks and priorities aimed at reforming the Constitution and judicial power, as well as matters concerning the freedom of mass media, fighting corruption, economic reforms, and several other issues.

The constructive and democratic dialog, on the basis of which the situation in the country after 24 March was regulated, was positively evaluated by the representatives of the European democratic wing, who again designated the republic as an active link in a strategically important region. Incidentally, special attention at the Vienna debates was focused on the threats in Central Asia: terrorism, organized crime, and drug trafficking. In this respect, the participants in the discussion welcomed the measures and efforts of the new Kyrgyzstan leadership to guarantee the succession of foreign policy and observe all the bilateral and multilateral international agreements to which Kyrgyzstan is party.

It has become a tradition for the current chairmen of the Organization to visit the countries of the region. In so doing, the recommendations and consultative-expert assistance of the OSCE are being applied in practice in all areas, including in the carrying out of political, legal, and democratic reforms.

As a participant in many international political structures, Kyrgyzstan is making its contribution to integration in the post-Soviet space, where the CSTO, EurAsEC, and SCO are of course priority organizations for the republic. Within the framework of the CSTO, we should mention the meeting of the Summit Group consisting of the deputy ministers of foreign affairs and defense and the deputy secretaries of the Security Councils of the member states, at which the main attention was focused on preparing for the sessions of the Council of Foreign Ministers, Council of Defense Ministers, and Committee of Secretaries of the Security Councils of the Organization’s countries. During the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers, a provision on the Working Group for Afghanistan was endorsed, the CSTO budget draft for 2006 were approved, as well as other documents prepared for endorsement at a regular meeting of the members of the Collective Security Council.

According to the country’s prime minister, Felix Kulov, CSTO summits are acquiring special significance in light of the new threats which must be faced today. The recent events in Andijan compel us to look for efficient ways to collectively oppose these threats. The current level of cooperation within the framework of the CSTO makes it possible to say that the Organization is capable of carrying out collective security tasks not only on paper.

Within the framework of regional cooperation, an important event, which Kyrgyzstan participated in, was the decision to unite the Central Asian Cooperation Organization (CACO) with the EurAsEC, which was adopted at a session of the Council of Heads of CACO States in St. Petersburg. Within this structure, all tasks must be carried out to create an integrated market, implement programs for sharing water resources, as well as programs in the energy, transport, and food spheres, in fighting terrorism and drug trafficking, in fighting AIDS, and so on.

Kyrgyzstan should urgently develop regional cooperation, with the aid of which the republic could overcome several problems. They include ensuring fair and rational water use, supplying gas and hard fuel, creating transportation corridors and free transit, and protecting the state border. In today’s world, one country cannot resolve these questions on its own. Recognizing its responsibility, Kyrgyzstan is trying to resolve them together with its neighbors on the basis of integration.

As for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, it has vast potential for further mutually advantageous development and for carrying out tasks to ensure security in the region, to step up economic trade ties, and to strengthen cooperation in the humanitarian sphere. Pakistan, India, Iran, and Mongolia joined the SCO as observers and this is assessed as an important stage in the development of international contacts and evidence of this Organization’s openness. The declaration of the heads of its member states signed at the summit in July in Astana, confirmation of the conception of cooperation in the fight against terrorism, separatism, and extremism, the provisions on permanent representatives of the member states in the Regional Antiterrorist Structure, and other documents are evidence of the high level of mutual understanding among the leaders of the states belonging to this structure—Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

The summit held in Astana set tasks aimed at the rapid practical implementation of the goals set forth in the Organization’s Charter on building efficient regional cooperation in the economic trade sphere. In order to reach these goals, several documents have been drawn up and adopted, the necessary legal base has been created, and there are plans to launch a mechanism for the joint financing of corresponding projects. The member countries reached mutual understanding on the main questions of the format and functioning of the SCO Development Foundation. It is important that its creation (by opening special accounts for specific projects) will make it possible to keep in mind as much as possible the economic interests of each of the Organization’s states, as well as its interests as a whole.

An important aspect of the multilateral interaction of the SCO states is intensifying cultural and humanitarian cooperation. For example, Kyrgyzstan has obtained the Organization’s support of its proposal to hold annual Isyk Kul sporting events under the SCO’s auspices, which will promote extensive coverage of its activity, particularly taking into account the SCO’s fifth anniversary coming up in 2006. The state is exerting significant efforts to draw up and put socioeconomic measures into practice to overcome a whole set of reasons for the instability in the region. Therefore, during the regular meeting held in October in Moscow, the Council of Heads of State reached an agreement to step up work aimed at developing trade and economic cooperation and improving the investment climate. The prime ministers felt it necessary to begin practical implementation of a Program of Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation until 2020, which includes more than 120 specific projects. During this meeting, the first session of the SCO Business Council was held, and an Interbank Union was created. What is more, an intergovernmental agreement on interaction in dealing with emergencies was signed.

With respect to Kyrgyzstan’s participation in the work of economic international structures, the Sixth Conference of the World Trade Organization held in Hong Kong should be noted. It defined the further priorities of the WTO’s Doha Round of multilateral talks, a regular four-year round of talks on the liberalization of international trade which began in Doha, Qatar.

What is more, during the International Conference on Strengthening Subregional Economic Cooperation in Central Asia and the future role on a U.N. Special Program for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA), ways and means were determined for strengthening cooperation within this program, as well as ways to achieve greater complementarity between SPECA and other international programs in Central Asia. According to the European Economic Commission, the progress noted in subregional and regional trade and economic cooperation, increasing the size of the market, and finding joint solutions to environmental problems will help to strengthen sustainable and dynamic development of all the SPECA member states, including Kyrgyzstan.

In conclusion, it should be noted that all the sides participating in Kyrgyzstan’s international affairs are interested in its economic stability and sustainable development. In so doing, sustainable development is understood as an integral approach to establish the best balance among the main elements of development: economic, social, and environmental. This means that structural and social problems must be resolved equally and taken into account along with macroeconomic and financial questions.