Kyrgyzstan, 2010

I would first like to congratulate you, President Deiss,

on your election to the presidency of the General

Assembly at it sixty-fifth session. I wish you every

success.

For Kyrgyzstan, 2010 has been a year of

profound changes and serious challenges to our

continued existence, unity and statehood. In April,

having overthrown the authoritarian system of State

governance, with its flagrant corruption and illegality,

the Kyrgyz people resolutely chose a path to renewal

and genuine democratic development.

Nevertheless, in May and June, the world

witnessed acutely destabilizing situations in the south

of Kyrgyzstan, where radical forces of the former

Government and criminal and extremist groups sought

revenge. Accordingly, they provoked bloody clashes

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between Kyrgyz and Uzbek communities, who have

lived and worked in peace side by side for centuries.

Those extremist forces insidiously played the

ethnic card by knowingly exploiting the precariousness

of such socio-economic problems as poverty, high

unemployment — especially among youth — corruption

and unequal access to economic and financial resources,

which were ignored by the former Government.

In that difficult period, the interim Government

succeeded in consolidating all positive and patriotic

forces among the people. With the assistance of the

international community, the interim Government was

able to stabilize the situation and thereby prevent a

return to the past.

On 27 June, a new Constitution was adopted by

national referendum that provided the basis for

parliamentary Government in the country. Today, we

can in good conscience declare that all the necessary

political, economic and organizational conditions have

been established for the holding of transparent

parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan on 10 October

2010. Kyrgyzstan has a unique opportunity to build a

truly democratic parliamentary State based on the rule

of law and human rights. I am confident that the people

of Kyrgyzstan will show wisdom and a high level of

political involvement and not miss this chance.

In order to move successfully along the path of

democratic development and prevent future political

and socio-economic disturbances, we intend to

thoroughly analyse the origins and reasons behind the

apparent conflicts that took place in our country in the

past year, and more specifically over the past six

months.

At present a State commission to investigate the

reasons for the conflict is at work. The commission

consists of prominent political activists, scientists and

experts, of Kyrgyz, Uzbek and other nationalities that

make up multinational Kyrgyzstan. An international

independent commission has also begun its work,

supported by the United Nations, the European Union,

the Organization for Security and Cooperation in

Europe (OSCE) and Nordic countries. We should

identify the organizers of the bloody clashes, seek what

lessons can be learned, try to comprehend and

eradicate the causes of friction and seek ways to reach

inter-ethnic accord in the society.

But most important, the realization of the tragic

and futile nature of the results of extremist actions

must become established in the minds of the peoples of

the various ethnic communities living in Kyrgyzstan.

An unshakable commitment to national unity and

nationhood must become the cohesive element and

uniting force in the country.

We are expanding the various forms of

cooperation with regional international organizations in

order to further stabilize the situation in Kyrgyzstan.

Thus, with a view to rendering assistance to law

enforcement staff and restoring confidence between

people and local administrations, the negotiations on

engaging the OSCE police advisory group are

concluding. In line with agreements reached, the

partner countries of the Collective Security Treaty

Organization render procurement and advisory

assistance.

The Kyrgyz Republic highly appreciates the

position and actions of the leadership of the Republic

of Uzbekistan, and of President Islam Karimov

personally, in stabilizing the situation in the south of

our country, especially in the first days of the unrest.

We are also grateful for the support and invaluable

assistance rendered by the Government of that

brotherly country to citizens of Kyrgyzstan displaced

into Uzbekistan, and for facilitating their return.

We are sincerely grateful to all those who

responded to the call for help and assistance in the

framework of the flash appeal for Kyrgyzstan launched

by the United Nations, and also for comprehensive

support provided on a bilateral basis.

The immediate humanitarian assistance from

friendly countries, international organizations and

agencies and United Nations institutions has been vital

in stabilizing the crisis situation and overcoming the

destructive consequences of a humanitarian

catastrophe. As of today we have received 40 per cent

of the required help within the framework of the

appeal. It is obviously not sufficient, given the urgent

need of the population on the streets of the affected

cities and settlements. People still need housing, the

wounded need medical care, and schools and social

service buildings need to be rebuilt.

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At present our Government is focusing its basic

efforts on post-conflict reconstruction of the country’s

social and economic infrastructure, especially in the

southern regions. Therefore, timely and practical

implementation of commitments made at the donor

conference on Kyrgyzstan held in Bishkek this July is

extremely important.

Kyrgyzstan supports the position of Secretary-

General Ban Ki-moon, stated on 23 September at the

Security Council Summit (see S/PV.6389), on

strengthening the role of the United Nations in

responding to humanitarian catastrophes and resolving

crisis situations.

The establishment of the United Nations Regional

Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia was

an important and necessary step on the part of the

United Nations. We consider it essential to expand and

strengthen its operations, which will allow it to

implement a package of preventive measures and to

activate mediation services. We also welcome the

launch of a counter-terrorism strategy for the Central

Asian region and are ready to strengthen cooperation

aimed at adoption of a joint action plan by 2011.

The Security Council summit prompts us to

consider more seriously the problem of terrorism. The

events of June of this year in the Kyrgyz Republic —

when various terrorists groups attempted to enter the

territory of Kyrgyzstan by mountain paths from

neighbouring countries — testify to the presence of

real threats of terrorism to the peace and security of the

States bordering Afghanistan.

Terrorist groups joining forces with drug barons

and other criminal elements is a great concern. Such

combustible hybrids should be eliminated by the most

drastic measures. Therefore, the Kyrgyz State drug

control agency, which was liquidated a year ago, has

recently been restored. As we intensify our efforts in

the fight against illegal drug trafficking, we are

extremely interested in furthering a strategic

programme for the countries of Central Asia to oppose

illegal drug trafficking and fighting international

crime. We must further strengthen the activity of the

Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination

Centre in fighting illegal trafficking of psychotropic

substances and their precursors under the aegis of the

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

The action plan of the European Union and the

Central Asian countries for 2009-2013 should become

an important part of international efforts to fight illegal

drug trafficking, along with coordinated actions within

the framework of the Commonwealth of Independent

States and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. We

continually call upon the United Nations to improve

coordination of the fights against drug trafficking and

transnational organized crime.

In Afghanistan, the fragile process of

peacekeeping and reconciliation and the development

of the institutional structures are points of special

concern. The recent parliamentary elections in that

country inspire some optimism about strengthening

civil society and creating a parliament of national

unity. The construction of a stable economy and

effective support of Afghanistan’s State institutions

will serve as the basis for a durable peace in that

country and will reduce the threat to security in the

Central Asian region. Kyrgyzstan supports

international programmes for Afghanistan’s economic

reconstruction and is ready to contribute material and

personnel and to work closely with the anti-terrorist

coalition.

The Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference

last May demonstrated the possibility of achieving an

understanding in the critical sphere of nuclear

disarmament. My country is also contributing to that

effort. Kyrgyzstan has been designated as the

depositary of the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free

Zone in Central Asia. Thus it promotes regional

security while broadening collaboration with other

nuclear-weapon-free zones.

The ecological dimension is a special feature of

the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central

Asia. That is because there remains a large quantity of

uranium tailings in Kyrgyzstan, which poses a serious

risk to human life and to the environment in general.

On this matter, we are grateful to the United Nations

Development Programme for its increased attention to

those zones of high ecological risk and for conducting

an international meeting in 2009.

We would like to call delegates’ attention to item

97 (i) on the Assembly’s agenda for this session,

entitled “Establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone

in Central Asia”, and we ask them to support it.

United Nations peacekeeping operations are a key

tool in preserving and maintaining peace on our planet.

Kyrgyzstan is the only country in the region that is

contributing more than 30 peacekeepers to United

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Nations missions in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean,

and it is ready to increase its participation in United

Nations peacekeeping operations.

The delegation of Kyrgyzstan has repeatedly

come out in favour of fully optimizing the management

of peacekeeping operations. It supports the

comprehensive strategy for field support and its

reform, as documented in “A New Partnership Agenda:

Charting a New Horizon for UN Peacekeeping”. We

are convinced of the vital importance of involving such

authoritative regional organizations as the European

Union, the Organization for Security and Cooperation

in Europe and the Collective Security Treaty

Organization in peacekeeping activities and post-

conflict reconstruction.

Kyrgyzstan is devoted to the purposes and tasks

of strengthening international peace and security, and,

as a candidate for non-permanent membership on the

Security Council, is ready to contribute to the cause of

peace, especially by participating in the work of the

Council and its committees.

We wish to focus the Assembly’s attention on the

issues of environmental safety and hydropower. Recent

studies have confirmed the loss of more than 20 per

cent of Kyrgyzstan’s glaciers and snowfields, which

requires urgent efforts to preserve our river headwaters

and restore our forests. Kyrgyzstan is interested in the

rational exploitation of its resources, an attractive

investment climate, preserving ecological security and

developing alternative energy sources. We need to

launch regional projects within the framework of the

Central Asia/South Asia Regional Electricity Market,

starting with the construction of a Kyrgyzstan-

Tajikistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan electric power line.

We pledge our full support to developing concrete

measures at the forthcoming sixteenth Climate Change

Conference in Cancún in November. Among the

practical steps to be taken in this area, I will mention

that the forthcoming International Conference of

Mountain Countries, on climate change, to be held in

Kathmandu, will be making broad proposals for the

Cancún meeting.

Kyrgyzstan is studying significant projects on

sustainable development and supports Mr. László

Borbély in his work for the nineteenth session of the

Commission on Sustainable Development. Our

imperative is achieving the agenda of the twenty-first

century and making the Johannesburg Plan of Action a

reality.

In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that the

activity of the United Nations must respond fully to the

expectations of people throughout the planet and that

we, countries both small and large, must not forget the

responsibility we bear for our actions. I also wish for

all the wisdom and courage that will help us in

achieving the enduring purposes and values of our

Organization in building a better peace.