United States Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic Marie L. Yovanovitch
Interview with Najia Badykova of Voice of America
July 27, 2007

QUESTION:  How would you characterize the current Kyrgyz-American relations?  Some experts believe there are some tensions.

AMBASSADOR YOVANOVITCH:  I know there’s a lot of that in the press.  What I would say is that we actually have a very good working relationship with the Kyrgyz at all levels.  Recently, as you may know, Secretary Gates was in Kyrgyzstan, Admiral Fallon, the Commander of CENTCOM, and of course our own Assistant Secretary of State, Richard Boucher, in the last month, have been, or I guess in the last two months, have been in Kyrgyzstan for a very productive series of talks.  We’re looking forward to September when the Foreign Minister will be here in Washington.  So overall we have an extremely productive relationship with Kyrgyzstan.

QUESTION:  How important is the American military base in Kyrgzystan to the United States?

AMBASSADOR YOVANOVITCH:  We have one base, as you know, the Manas Air Force Base.  It’s extremely important to us, to the efforts of the international coalition in Afghanistan.  I would also say that it’s extremely important for the region and for Kyrgyzstan itself.  Because as you may recall, in 1999 and 2000 there were terrorist incursions and attacks in, in Kyrgyzstan made by the very same people that the coalition is fighting now in Afghanistan.  And as a result of the international coalition, taking that fight to Afghanistan, trying to stabilize the area and trying to help the Afghans create a good economy, a good government, that’s responsive to the people, as well as of course stabilize the situation there.

Kyrgyzstan no longer has those incursions in the way it did in the past.  I think that’s a very important thing to remember- that the base, the international coalition, they are helping to create regional stability.  It’s not just for Afghanistan.

QUESTION:  Kyrgyz mass media is circulating anti-American ideas, and tht the U.S. military needs to leave Kyrgyzstan? Why does this happen, in your opinion? 

AMBASSADOR YOVANOVITCH:  Well, I think, I think we still have good relations with Kyrgyzstan despite what you sometimes see in the media.

What I would also say is that Kyrgyzstan is a country which has the freest media in Central Asia.  There are still things, there are still developments that need to happen to make it even freer, but this is a media that is relatively free.  People can exercise their rights to have an opinion.  And on any given issue, whether it’s an American base, whether it’s something else, there is going to be a difference of opinion.  And so I think we see that in the media, we see it on the blogs.

What we’ve actually noticed over the last two months is that as the issues around the base have been aired in parliamentary hearings and so forth, more of the facts about the base, about various incidents, have gotten out.  We’ve seen in the blogs that now there is another point of view, not just that the base is not a good thing, but that the base is positive, that the base should stay, and we’ve seen a lot of support there.

QUESTION:  Okay, were alternatives to Kyrgyz bases ever considered, as Bagram in Afghanistan for example? 

AMBASSADOR YOVANOVITCH:  I think that, obviously I can’t get into the specifics, but I think you probably know that the U.S. military, the U.S. government is always reviewing alternatives for every situation.

QUESTION:  With the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's summit approaching in Bishkek, how do you view the role this group is playing in the region?  Some analysts say that the American policy toward Central Asia is overshadowed by SCO.

AMBASSADOR YOVANOVITCH:  Well, I wouldn’t agree with that.  What I would say is that the Shanghai Cooperation organization is it’s regional organization with some very important goals.  Goals that the United States shares and shares for the region. In terms of security, anti-terrorism, the fight against narcotics.  These are important issues and frankly, we welcome any assistance on these very important issues in the region.

QUESTION:  Is there a stand-off between world powers in Kyrgystan? Is Kyrgyzstan being pressured by China and Russia? 

AMBASSADOR YOVANOVITCH:  Well, there’s a lot in the press about that, and it’s obviously something that we watch in the press.

What I would say is that Kyrgyzstan is really in an enviable situation in many ways because there are many countries that want to reach out to Kyrgyzstan and provide options and opportunities.  And I think that’s what any country wants.  You never want, you know, as people you don’t ever want just one pal; you want a bunch of pals.  You never want to be just shopping in one store, you want choices.  And Kyrgyzstan has a number of allies in the region.  We’re seeing that Europe with its new strategy, the EU strategy, is becoming more active.  And of course the United States, ever since independence when we were the first country to open an embassy in an independent Kyrgyzstan, we have been a steady friend as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said, of Kyrgyzstan.

I think that that is a net plus for Kyrgyzstan.