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MANAS AIR BASE, Kyrgyzstan – Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld wrapped up a four-day whirlwind trip through the Middle East and Central Asia by telling U.S. troops here they’re playing a significant role in the war on terrorism and in improving the lives of the Afghan and Iraqi people. “The good Lord willing, those two countries … will be on a path of freedom, a path where people have the right and privilege of helping to guide and direct their country, and the economic opportunities that come from free economic systems,” Rumsfeld said. “And you’ll be able to look back and know in your hearts you were a part of that.” Rumsfeld spent a little over an hour with the 800 U.S. servicemembers, predominantly airmen, and 100 Spanish air force troops at this key aerial-refueling and strategic-airlift hub on the outskirts of the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek. The U.S. military has maintained a presence here since December 2001, supporting coalition efforts in Afghanistan. The base is known informally as Ganci Air Base, after Peter Ganci, the senior New York fireman killed on Sept. 11, 2001. Air Force Capt. DeJon Redd, a base spokesman, explained the name can’t be changed officially because the Air Force stipulates that bases outside the United States are not named after Americans. The secretary met with the troops in “Pete’s Place,” a cavernous tent primarily used for morale, welfare and recreation activities. Redd said “Beer and Bingo Night” is an especially popular activity. U.S. troops here are allowed two beers each on Wednesdays and Saturdays, he said. Servicemembers assigned here generally serve four-month tours and are mostly restricted to the base. “Our focus here is launching aircraft,” Redd said. “So there’s not a lot of off-base activities for our airmen.” Not far from Pete’s Place, construction of prefabricated dormitories can be seen. Base officials hope to move airmen out of the tents they’ve been living in into the more permanent structures by fall. Redd said that timeframe isn’t guaranteed because the area has had an especially harsh winter, delaying construction. The Tien Shan mountain range covers 95 percent of the country’s area. A cold rain was beating on the tent’s roof and the roar of jets could be heard overhead as Rumsfeld looked out into a sea of tan uniforms and told the 400-plus troops assembled that their mission supporting efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq is vital. “It’s not an easy thing to move from despotism to a democracy,” Rumsfeld said, referring to Iraq’s efforts to build its first freely elected government. “But they’re making good headway.” Before visiting Manas Air Base, Rumsfeld met with local leaders in Bishkek’s “White House,” which houses the presidential offices. The secretary met with the country’s acting president, Prime Minister Kurmanbek Bakiyev, who assumed the presidency March 28 after former President Askar Akayev fled the country to Moscow after a bloodless coup March 24. Rumsfeld also met with the acting ministers of defense and state. National elections are scheduled for July. The White House had been looted after the March power grab. Little damage was evident, but the vast marble building appeared scantily furnished and was barely heated. At a joint news conference after the meetings, Bakiyev said the United States will continue to have use of Manas Air Base. Through a translator, he said he assured Rumsfeld that “the Kyrgyz Republic will comply with all the international agreements we have signed.” The acting president dismissed a suggestion of expanding the U.S. base here and denied rumors circulating through local media that the United States is considering stationing Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft at Manas. “I do not think there’s any need to increase the presence of any military troops in the Kyrgyz Republic,” he said. Rumsfeld thanked Kyrgyzstan for continued support in the war on terror and said he told the country’s interim leadership “that the United States is wishing them well in the important work that they’re engaged in in building a stable and modern and prosperous democracy.” Rumsfeld flew to Kyrgyzstan this morning after spending the night in Islamabad, Pakistan. The previous evening he had met with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. The two discussed the situations and Iraq and Afghanistan and the global war on terrorism. Pakistan has been a strong ally in combating terrorism in the region and is strategically important because it shares a border with Afghanistan. A senior defense official said Rumsfeld is encouraged by the evolving relationship between Musharraf and Afghan President Hamid Karzai. “It’s a healthy thing,” the official said, specifically referring to the “Tripartite Group” of representatives from the United States, Pakistan and Afghanistan that meets regularly to discuss efforts to thwart al Qaeda and Taliban actions and other matters affecting the region. Since leaving Washington April 11, Rumsfeld spent one day in Iraq and one day in Afghanistan, greeting U.S. troops and meeting with U.S. military and local government leaders. He also made an overnight stop and met with local leaders in Baku, Azerbaijan. U.S. State Department Background Notes on Kyrgyzstan
OFFICIAL NAME: Kyrgyz Republic Geography Area:
77,181 sq. mi. People Nationality:
Kyrgyzstani. Government Type:
Republic. Economy GDP:
2003, $1.9 billion; 2002, $1.6 billion; 2001, $1.5 billion. Natural resources: Abundant hydropower; significant deposits of gold and rare earth metals; locally exploitable coal, oil, and natural gas; other deposits of iron, bauxite, copper, tin, molybdenum, mercury, and antimony. Agriculture: Products–tobacco, cotton, wheat, vegetables (potatoes, sugar beets, beans),
fruits (apples, apricots, peaches, grapes), berries; sheep,
goats, cattle; wool. Trade: Exports
(2002)–$485.5 million: cotton, wool, meat, tobacco, gold, mercury,
uranium, hydropower, machinery,
shoes. Partners–Switzerland 19.4%, Russia
16.2%, United Arab Emirates 13.5%, China 8.8%, U.S. 7.9%, Kazakhstan 7.8%.
Imports–$586.7 million: oil and gas, machinery and equipment, foodstuffs.
Partners–Kazakhstan 21.5%, Russia 19.5%, Uzbekistan 10.2%, China 10%, U.S.
8.2%, Germany 5%, Netherlands 2.8%. PEOPLE AND HISTORY According to recent findings of Kyrgyz and Chinese historians, Kyrgyz history dates back to 201 B.C. The earliest descendents of the Kyrgyz people, who are believed to be of Turkic descent, lived in the northeastern part of what is currently Mongolia. Later, some of their tribes migrated to the region that is currently southern Siberia and settled along the Yenisey River, where they lived from the 6th until the 8th centuries. They spread across what is now the Tuva region of the Russian Federation, remaining in that area until the rise of the Mongol Empire in the 13th century, when the Kyrgyz began migrating south. In the 12th century, Islam became the predominant religion in the region. Most Kyrgyz are Sunni Muslims of the Hanafi school. During the 15th-16th centuries, the Kyrgyz people settled in the territory currently known as the Kyrgyz Republic. In the early 19th century, the southern territory of the Kyrgyz Republic came under the control of the Khanate of Kokand, and the territory was formally incorporated into the Russian Empire in 1876. The Russian takeover instigated numerous revolts against tsarist authority, and many Kyrgyz opted to move into the Pamir mountains or to Afghanistan. The suppression of the 1916 rebellion in Central Asia caused many Kyrgyz to migrate to China. Soviet power was initially established in the region in 1918, and in 1924, the Kara-Kyrgyz Autonomous Oblast was created within the Russian Federal Socialist Republic. (The term Kara-Kyrgyz was used until the mid-1920s by the Russians to distinguish them from the Kazakhs, who were also referred to as Kyrgyz.) In 1926, it became the Kyrgyz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. On December 5, 1936, the Kyrgyz Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR) was established as a full Union Republic of the U.S.S.R. During the 1920s, the Kyrgyz Republic saw considerable cultural, educational, and social change. Economic and social development also was notable. Literacy increased, and a standard literary language was introduced. The Kyrgyz language belongs to the Southern Turkic group of languages. In 1924, an Arabic-based Kyrgyz alphabet was introduced, which was replaced by Latin script in 1928. In 1941 Cyrillic script was adopted. Many aspects of the Kyrgyz national culture were retained despite suppression of nationalist activity under Joseph Stalin, who controlled the Soviet Union from the late 1920’s until 1953. The early years of glasnost in the late 1980s had little effect on the political climate in the Kyrgyz Republic. However, the republic’s press was permitted to adopt a more liberal stance and to establish a new publication, Literaturny Kirghizstan, by the Union of Writers. Unofficial political groups were forbidden, but several groups that emerged in 1989 to deal with an acute housing crisis were permitted to function. In June 1990, ethnic tensions between Uzbeks and Kyrgyz surfaced in an area of the Osh Oblast, where Uzbeks form a majority of the population. Violent confrontations ensued, and a state of emergency and curfew were introduced. Order was not restored until August 1990. The early 1990s brought measurable change to the Kyrgyz Republic. The Kyrgyzstan Democratic Movement (KDM) had developed into a significant political force with support in parliament. In an upset victory, Askar Akayev, the president of the Kyrgyz Academy of Sciences, was elected to the presidency in October 1990. The following January, Akayev introduced new government structures and appointed a new government comprised mainly of younger, reform-oriented politicians. In December 1990, the Supreme Soviet voted to change the republic’s name to the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. (In 1993, it became the Kyrgyz Republic.) In February 1991, the name of the capital, Frunze, was changed back to its pre-revolutionary name–Bishkek. Despite these moves toward independence, economic realities seemed to work against secession from the U.S.S.R. In a referendum on the preservation of the U.S.S.R. in March 1991, 88.7% of the voters approved a proposal to retain the U.S.S.R. as a "renewed federation." On August 19, 1991, when the State Committee for the State of Emergency (SCSE) assumed power in Moscow, there was an attempt to depose Akayev in Kyrgyzstan. After the coup collapsed the following week, Akayev and Vice President German Kuznetsov announced their resignations from the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), and the entire politburo and secretariat resigned. This was followed by the Supreme Soviet vote declaring independence from the U.S.S.R. on August 31, 1991. Kyrgyz was announced as the state language in September 1991. (In December 2001, through a constitutional amendment, the Russian language was given official status.) In October 1991, Akayev ran unopposed and was elected President of the new independent republic by direct ballot, receiving 95% of the votes cast. Together with the representatives of seven other republics, he signed the Treaty of the New Economic Community that same month. On December 21, 1991, the Kyrgyz Republic formally entered the new Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). In 1993, allegations of corruption against Akayev’s closest political associates blossomed into a major scandal. One of those accused of improprieties was Prime Minister Chyngyshev, who was dismissed for ethical reasons in December. Following Chyngyshev’s dismissal, Akayev dismissed the government and called upon the last communist premier, Apas Djumagulov, to form a new one. In January 1994, Akayev initiated a referendum asking for a renewed mandate to complete his term of office. He received 96.2% of the vote. A new constitution was passed by the parliament in May 1993. In 1994, however, the parliament failed to produce a quorum for its last scheduled session prior to the expiration of its term in February 1995. President Akayev was widely accused of having manipulated a boycott by a majority of the parliamentarians. Akayev, in turn, asserted that the communists had caused a political crisis by preventing the legislature from fulfilling its role. Akayev scheduled an October 1994 referendum, overwhelmingly approved by voters, which proposed two amendments to the constitution–one that would allow the constitution to be amended by means of a referendum, and the other creating a new bicameral parliament called the Jogorku Kenesh. Elections for the two legislative chambers–a 35-seat full-time assembly and a 70-seat part-time assembly–were held in February 1995 after campaigns considered remarkably free and open by most international observers, although the election-day proceedings were marred by widespread irregularities. Independent candidates won most of the seats, suggesting that personalities prevailed over ideologies. The new parliament convened its initial session in March 1995. One of its first orders of business was the approval of the precise constitutional language on the role of the legislature. On December 24, 1995, President Akayev was reelected for another 5-year term with wide support (75% of vote) over two opposing candidates. President Akayev used government resources and state-owned media to carry out his campaign. Three (out of six) candidates were de-registered shortly before the election. A February 1996 referendum–in violation of the constitution and the law on referendums–amended the constitution to give President Akayev more power. Although the changes gave the president the power to dissolve parliament, it also more clearly defined the parliament’s powers. Since that time, the parliament has demonstrated real independence from the executive branch. An October 1998 referendum approved constitutional changes, including increasing the number of deputies in the lower house, reducing the number of deputies in the upper house, providing for 25% of lower house deputies to be elected by party lists, rolling back parliamentary immunity, introducing private property, prohibiting adoption of laws restricting freedom of speech and mass media, and reforming the state budget. Two rounds of parliamentary elections were held on February 20, 2000 and March 12, 2000. With the full backing of the United States, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) reported that the elections failed to comply with commitments to free and fair elections and hence were invalid. Questionable judicial proceedings against opposition candidates and parties limited the choice of candidates available to Kyrgyz voters, while state-controlled media only reported favorably on official candidates. Government officials put pressure on independent media outlets that favored the opposition. The presidential election that followed later in 2000 also was marred by irregularities and was not declared free and fair by international observers. The most recent elections were parliamentary, held February 27 and March 13, 2005. The United States agreed with the findings of the OSCE that while the elections failed to comply with commitments to free and fair elections, there were improvements over the 2000 elections, notably the use of indelible ink, transparent ballot boxes, and generally good access by election observers. Sporadic protests against perceived fraud during the parliamentary runoff elections in late March 2005 erupted into widespread calls for the government’s resignation that started in Southern provinces. On March 24, 15,000 pro-opposition demonstrators called for the resignation of the President and his regime in Bishkek. Some injuries were reported during police clashes along with widespread looting. Protestors seized the presidential administration building, after which President Akayev fled to Russia. President Akayev signed a letter of resignation in Moscow on April 4, which was accepted by Kyrgyzstan’s new parliament on April 12, 2005. Opposition leaders moved quickly to establish an interim government led by Prime Minister Kurmanbek Bakiyev. GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS The 1993 constitution defines the form of government as a democratic republic. The executive branch includes a president and prime minister. The judicial branch comprises a Supreme Court, a Constitutional Court, local courts, and a Procurator-General. March 2002 events in the southern district of Aksy, where six people protesting the arbitrary arrest of an opposition politician were shot dead by police, engendered nationwide protests. President Akayev initiated a constitutional reform process with the participation of civic society and opposition representatives. The process, which initially included the participation of a broad range of government, civil, and social representatives in an open dialogue, resulted in a February 2003 referendum marred by voting irregularities. The amendments to the constitution approved by the referendum resulted in further control by the president and weakened the parliament and the Constitutional Court. Under the new constitution, the previously bicameral parliament became a 75-seat unicameral legislature following the 2005 parliamentary elections. Interim government leaders are developing a new governing structure for the country and working to resolve outstanding constitutional issues. On April 12, 2005, the new parliament voted to set the date for presidential elections on July 10. Principal Government Officials* ** President–Kurmanbek
Bakiyev The Kyrgyz Republic maintains an embassy in the United States at 1732 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20007 (tel.: (202) 338-5141; fax: (202) 338-5139). * As of March 25, 2005. Ministerial nominations for all ministries were named in an emergency session of parliament on March 24, 2005 and will be forwarded to the upper house of parliament for approval. ECONOMY Despite the backing of major Western donors, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Kyrgyz Republic has had economic difficulties following independence. Initially, these were a result of the breakup of the Soviet trading bloc and resulting loss of markets, which impeded the republic’s transition to a free market economy. The government has reduced expenditures, ended most price subsidies, and introduced a value-added tax. Overall, the government appears committed to the transition to a market economy. Through economic stabilization and reform, the government seeks to establish a pattern of long-term consistent growth. Reforms led to the Kyrgyz Republic’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) on December 20, 1998. The Kyrgyz Republic’s economy was severely affected by the collapse of the Soviet Union and the resulting loss of its vast market. In 1990, some 98% of Kyrgyz exports went to other parts of the Soviet Union. Thus, the nation’s economic performance in the early 1990s was worse than any other former Soviet republic except war-torn Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Tajikistan. While economic performance has improved in the last few years, difficulties remain in securing adequate fiscal revenues and providing an adequate social safety net. Agriculture is an important sector of the economy in the Kyrgyz Republic. By the early 1990s, the private agricultural sector provided between one-third and one-half of some harvests. In 2002 agriculture accounted for 35.6% of GDP and about half of employment. The Kyrgyz Republic’s terrain is mountainous, which accommodates livestock raising, the largest agricultural activity. Main crops include wheat, sugar beets, cotton, tobacco, vegetables, and fruit. Wool, meat, and dairy products also are major commodities. Agricultural processing is a key component of the industrial economy, as well as one of the most attractive sectors for foreign investment. The Kyrgyz Republic is rich in mineral resources but has negligible petroleum and natural gas reserves; it imports petroleum and gas. Among its mineral reserves are substantial deposits of coal, gold, uranium, antimony, and other rare-earth metals. Metallurgy is an important industry, and the government hopes to attract foreign investment in this field. The government has actively encouraged foreign involvement in extracting and processing gold. The Kyrgyz Republic’s plentiful water resources and mountainous terrain enable it to produce and export large quantities of hydroelectric energy. The Kyrgyz Republic’s principal exports are nonferrous metals and minerals, woolen goods and other agricultural products, electric energy, and certain engineering goods. Its imports include petroleum and natural gas, ferrous metals, chemicals, most machinery, wood and paper products, some foods, and some construction materials. Its leading trade partners include Germany, Russia, China, and neighboring Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The Kyrgyz Republic exports antimony, mercury, rare-earth metals, and chemical products to the United States. It imports grain, medicine and medical equipment, vegetable oil, paper products, rice, machinery, agricultural equipment, and meat from the United States. According to the National Statistics Committee, in 2002 Kyrgyz exports to the U.S. totaled $36.1 million; for January through September of 2003, Kyrgyz exports to the U.S. totaled $5.5 million. In 2002 Kyrgyz imports from the U.S. totaled $47.4 million, much of which was equipment, food products, and commodities provided by assistance programs; for January through September of 2003, Kyrgyz imports from the U.S. totaled $25.7 million. FOREIGN RELATIONS The Kyrgyz Republic maintains close relations with other former Soviet countries, particularly with Kazakhstan and Russia. Recognizing Russia’s concerns about the Russian-speaking minority in the Kyrgyz Republic, President Akayev was sensitive to potential perceptions of discrimination. For example, although the 1993 constitution designates Kyrgyz as the state language, an amendment to the constitution in 2001 granted official status to the Russian language. But in February 2004, the parliament adopted a new language law, which was still awaiting signature by the President when he was removed from power in March 2005. While the Kyrgyz Republic initially remained in the ruble zone, stringent conditions set by the Russian Government prompted the Kyrgyz Republic to introduce its own currency, the som, in May 1993. Withdrawal from the ruble zone was done with little prior notification and initially caused tensions in the region. Both Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan temporarily suspended trade, and Uzbekistan even introduced restrictions tantamount to economic sanctions. Both nations feared an influx of rubles and an increase in inflation. Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan’s hostility toward the Kyrgyz Republic was short-lived, and the three nations signed an agreement in January 1994 creating an economic union. Economic cooperation within the region, though, is still hampered by unilateral barriers created by the Kyrgyz Republic’s neighbors. The Kyrgyz Republic has been active in furthering regional cooperation, such as joint military exercises with Uzbek and Kazakh troops. Turkey has sought to capitalize on its cultural and ethnic links to the region and has found the Kyrgyz Republic receptive to cultivating bilateral relations. The Kyrgyz Republic is a member of the OSCE, the CIS, the WTO, and the United Nations. U.S.-KYRGYZ RELATIONS The U.S. is watching closely the quickly changing events in Kyrgyzstan and is working with the UN, the OSCE, and the international community to assist Kyrgyzstan through its critical transition to a new, freely elected government. The U.S. Government provides humanitarian assistance, non-lethal military assistance, and assistance to support economic and political reforms. It also has supported the Kyrgyz Republic’s requests for assistance from international organizations. The United States helped the Kyrgyz Republic accede to the WTO in December 1998. U.S. assistance aids the Kyrgyz Republic in implementing necessary economic, health sector, and educational reforms, and supports economic development and conflict resolution in the Ferghana Valley. Principal U.S. Officials ** Ambassador–Stephen
M. Young The U.S. Embassy in the Kyrgyz Republic is located at 171 Prospect Mira 720016 Bishkek (tel.: 996-312-55-12-41; fax: 996-312-55-12-64). TRAVEL AND BUSINESS INFORMATION The U.S. Department of State’s Consular Information Program provides Consular Information Sheets, Travel Warnings, and Public Announcements. Consular Information Sheets exist for all countries and include information on entry requirements, currency regulations, health conditions, areas of instability, crime and security, political disturbances, and the addresses of the U.S. posts in the country. Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department recommends that Americans avoid travel to a certain country. Public Announcements are issued as a means to disseminate information quickly about terrorist threats and other relatively short-term conditions overseas that pose significant risks to the security of American travelers. Free copies of this information are available by calling the Bureau of Consular Affairs at 202-647-5225 or via the fax-on-demand system: 202-647-3000. Consular Information Sheets and Travel Warnings also are available on the Consular Affairs Internet home page: http://travel.state.gov. Consular Affairs Tips for Travelers publication series, which contain information on obtaining passports and planning a safe trip abroad, are on the Internet and hard copies can be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, telephone: 202-512-1800; fax 202-512-2250. Emergency information concerning Americans traveling abroad may be obtained from the Office of Overseas Citizens Services at (202) 647-5225. For after-hours emergencies, Sundays and holidays, call 202-647-4000. The National Passport Information Center (NPIC) is the U.S. Department of State’s single, centralized public contact center for U.S. passport information. Telephone: 1-877-4USA-PPT (1-877-487-2778). Customer service representatives and operators for TDD/TTY are available Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time, excluding federal holidays. Travelers can check the latest health information with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. A hotline at 877-FYI-TRIP (877-394-8747) and a web site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel/index.htm give the most recent health advisories, immunization recommendations or requirements, and advice on food and drinking water safety for regions and countries. A booklet entitled Health Information for International Travel (HHS publication number CDC-95-8280) is available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402, tel. (202) 512-1800. Information on travel conditions, visa requirements, currency and customs regulations, legal holidays, and other items of interest to travelers also may be obtained before your departure from a country’s embassy and/or consulates in the U.S. (for this country, see "Principal Government Officials" listing in this publication). U.S. citizens who are long-term visitors or traveling in dangerous areas are encouraged to register their travel via the State Department’s travel registration web site at https://travelregistration.state.gov or at the Consular section of the U.S. embassy upon arrival in a country by filling out a short form and sending in a copy of their passports. This may help family members contact you in case of an emergency. Further Electronic Information Department of State Web Site. Available on the Internet at http://www.state.gov, the Department of State web site provides timely, global access to official U.S. foreign policy information, including Background Notes and daily press briefings along with the directory of key officers of Foreign Service posts and more. Export.gov provides a portal to all export-related assistance and market information offered by the federal government and provides trade leads, free export counseling, help with the export process, and more. STAT-USA/Internet, a service of the U.S. Department of Commerce, provides authoritative economic, business, and international trade information from the Federal government. The site includes current and historical trade-related releases, international market research, trade opportunities, and country analysis and provides access to the National Trade Data Bank. |
