Mr. President, Mr. Secretary-General, ladies and gentlemen,
First of all, let me congratulate Mr. Abdulla Shahid of the Maldives on his election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-sixth session and wish him success in his important position. I would also like to thank Mr. Volkan Bozkir of Turkey for his efforts as President of the Assembly at its seventy-fifth session. Kyrgyzstan supports the theme of our current debate, which encompasses all the most pressing issues on the international agenda.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Thirty years ago, Kyrgyzstan gained its sovereignty and became a full participant in and subject of international law. Our multinational people celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of our republic’s independence very recently, on 31 August.
I think that many will agree with my view that our republic’s main achievement in a period that is short by historical standards is our establishment of democracy as a model for the development of the State and a strong civil society. I want to assure the Assembly that we will not deviate from the democratic path. That is the demand of our freedom-loving people.
We will soon see the anniversary of the start of the well-known events of October 2020 in our country, which marked the beginning of a new stage in its modern history. In one year, we have succeeded in restoring sociopolitical and socioeconomic stability and earning society’s faith and trust. The results of previous presidential elections and the constitutional referendum were also recognized by the international community, including the observers of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Ahead of us are the next elections to our national Parliament, scheduled for 28 November. I invite the States Members of the United Nations and international organizations to send their observers. We will ensure that all the conditions are in place for them to do their work fully and safely. We hope that by the time of the elections are held the epidemiological situation in our country will be completely normal.
Mr. Secretary-General,
On 2 March 2022 we will also celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of Kyrgyzstan’s joining the United Nations. During this period, our republic has been an active Member State, fully committed to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and a consistent advocate of strengthening the authority and role of the United Nations in international affairs, which have unfortunately been characterized by tension and conflict in the past few decades. Our country is committed and always ready to contribute to international efforts to solve humankind’s common problems. It was those considerations that led Kyrgyzstan to put itself forward as a candidate for the Human Rights Council for the period from 2023 to 2025 and for non-permanent membership in the Security Council for the period from 2027 to 2028. I urge all States Members to support us in the elections.
Next year, the thirtieth anniversary of entry into the United Nations will also be celebrated by our respected neighbours in the region, with whom we share a common history and what I am sure will be a common future. I want to emphasize that in its centuries-long relations with its neighbours, Kyrgyzstan has always supported the importance of dialogue on an equal footing, mutually beneficial cooperation and the settlement of all disagreements exclusively through negotiation. Given the significance of this date, we propose to hold a Central Asia-United Nations summit in 2022 so that together we can take stock of the results of mutual cooperation and outline joint plans for the future development and security of Central Asia. We propose to organize the summit during the next Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia. I ask the President of the General Assembly and the Secretary-General to consider including their participation in it in their work schedules for next year.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Due to their geographic location, the States of Central Asia have functioned as a bridge connecting the East-West and North-South routes since ancient times, from the days of the Great Silk Road to today. Our region is unquestionably becoming one of the world’s most important trade hubs despite its lack of direct access to the sea. The countries of Central Asia are consistently expanding their network of international roads and railways, creating logistical centres and transport terminals.
For its part, Kyrgyzstan is actively developing its road transport infrastructure as part of the international transport arterial network. In particular, we will soon complete the construction of a new alternative North-South highway. We are also participating in the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project and supporting the modernization of Eurasia’s railway infrastructure. Kyrgyzstan is already capable of ensuring a satisfactory time frame and cost for the delivery of goods in transit between the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union, Central Asia, the People’s Republic of China and the European Union to the seaports of Karachi, Bandar Abbas and the Black Sea. I invite international logistics businesses to work with us in multifaceted cooperation, including in the area of multimodal transportation.
However, I would like to draw the Assembly’s attention to the fact that the successful implementation of investment projects and new transport corridors will not bring the maximum possible benefits if barriers to the crossing of State borders continue. In that regard, we support the creation of conditions conducive to international transport and the prevention of delays in inter-State freight traffic, as well as the removal of barriers to economic cooperation and the simplification of border crossing and transit procedures between countries and regions.
Colleagues,
I should not fail to note our concern about the latest events in Afghanistan. We can give 500 young Afghans the opportunity to study at our universities, as well as providing humanitarian assistance to citizens in need, especially the ethnic Kyrgyz of the Little and Greater Pamirs of Afghanistan. Given the ongoing evacuation of United Nations agencies from Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan is offering to move them temporarily to Bishkek. I appeal to the Secretary-General to consider our proposal in that regard. At the same time, the question of security in Central Asia is once again a major issue because of the current situation in Afghanistan. We hope to see social and political stability and law and order established there as soon as possible.
For its part, Kyrgyzstan is working comprehensively to combat terrorism and extremism, through its conscientious implementation of the provisions of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, the relevant Security Council resolutions and the recommendations of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate. For example, Kyrgyzstan has already introduced a system for advance passenger information and passenger name records for tracking terrorists’ movements internationally. We are also relying on support from the United Nations and interested States in repatriating our citizens, women and children, from Syria.
At the same time, we call for intensifying international efforts not only in the fight against terrorism and extremism but also against transnational organized crime involved in illegal activity in the areas of drug and arms trafficking, human trafficking, money-laundering and cyberspace. Within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Kyrgyzstan is working on launching a centre for countering international organized crime in Bishkek.
In general, we believe that regional bodies that come under the definition in Chapter VIII of the Charter should play an important role in confronting the current challenges and threats to international security and preventing conflicts. For its part, Kyrgyzstan, either as a member or a participant, is collaborating fully within the frameworks of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has become a serious challenge for humankind, producing huge numbers of casualties, severely and unprecedentedly testing national health systems and causing a recession in the global economy. We hope that thanks to the ongoing development of drugs and methods of treatment, a complete victory over this evil virus is already very close. It is vital to ensure that this antiviral medical know-how then becomes generally available.
As for the situation in our country, I should point out that the authorities are taking the necessary measures to protect the life and health of our population, especially medical workers. The vaccination of citizens is in full swing, and we are conducting a social educational campaign on vaccination. We already have vaccines from various global manufacturers, and I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to the leadership of China, Russia, Kazakhstan and Sweden, which have provided us with vaccines as a humanitarian act on a bilateral basis and within the framework of the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access programme, COVAX.
The coronavirus disease pandemic is also one of the reasons why Kyrgyzstan has not been able to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a timely manner and in full. We have been forced to divert funds programmed for the SDGs to combat the pandemic and pay down external debt. In that regard, we call on bilateral and multilateral lenders to support initiatives to ease external debt in exchange for vital sustainable development projects in Kyrgyzstan. These projects are primarily aimed at preserving the integrity of our unique mountain ecosystem and its biological diversity and glaciers, which are rapidly collapsing as a result of climate change. Most unfortunately, we have seen cases in Kyrgyzstan where unscrupulous investors,
in pursuit of large profits and abusing the public trust, have failed to take due care that their activities do not harm the environment. In accordance with our national laws, the Kyrgyz authorities have been putting a stop to such illegal activities but have then been forced to deal themselves with environmental consequences such as the safe disposal of hazardous waste and the management of dumps and tailings.
For three decades, Kyrgyzstan has actively promoted the interests of landlocked mountainous States in the international arena in order to address problems of sustainable development and the impact of climate change. On our initiative, resolution 53/24 declared 2002 the International Year of Mountains, the first Global Mountain Summit was held in Bishkek the same year and 2018 saw the organization of the Fourth World Mountain Forum. During the current session of the General Assembly, through the Group of Friends of Mountainous Countries we are launching an initiative to once again declare 2022 the International Year of Mountains, approve a five-year sustainable development programme for mountainous regions and convene the Bishkek+25 Global Summit in 2027.
Mr. Secretary-General,
In the past few years, both the environment and population of our country have begun to feel the negative consequences of climate change quite seriously. We will certainly give voice to our vision and position at the upcoming 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Glasgow. However, allow me to take advantage of this important rostrum to make a few remarks. One of mountainous Kyrgyzstan’s priorities and pressing problems is climate change adaptation. We consider the protection and enhancement of mountainous forest areas vital, since along with their natural function of absorbing carbon dioxide they also play an extremely important role in the conservation of water resources. In that connection, we support the development and adoption, under the auspices of the United Nations, of a special targeted programme for mountain forests and their preservation, restoration and afforestation.
As I noted earlier, the centuries-old glaciers, rivers and biodiverse mountain ecosystems in Kyrgyzstan are also at risk of extinction. This year at UNESCO we are initiating a resolution on the preservation of mountain glaciers while at the same time continuing to work with international partners to implement the provisions of resolution 75/271, entitled “Nature knows no borders: transboundary cooperation — a key factor for biodiversity conservation, restoration and sustainable use”, introduced by Kyrgyzstan and adopted earlier this year by the General Assembly. We are already seeing encouraging results. For example, thanks to joint work with habitat countries and international organizations, we have succeeded in preventing the extinction of an animal as noble as the snow leopard.
At the same time, Kyrgyzstan will try to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The Kyrgyz economy is gradually greening, with more and more carbon-free energy sources coming into operation, above all hydroelectric power plants. In order to ensure energy security, Kyrgyzstan is intending to gradually implement on its territory a number of hydropower plant construction projects, which are environmentally friendly energy sources. Access to modern, clean and affordable energy services in developing countries is crucial to achieving the global development Goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We believe that through implementing hydropower plant construction projects in Kyrgyzstan we can meet the Central Asian countries’ hydropower needs and thereby create the conditions necessary for
the sustainable development of our entire region. I invite investors to participate in mutually beneficial cooperative efforts in hydroelectricity, including those based on the principles of public-private partnership, in the spirit of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
To sum up, I should point out that Kyrgyzstan is counting on special attention, support and assistance from the world community, the United Nations and international financial institutions in solving the problems of mountainous countries’ ecosystems, especially those that are landlocked. In that connection, we believe that the time has come to create a special global fund within the United Nations to support mountainous countries in implementing targeted programmes for sustainable development and climate-change adaptation and prevention, for mountain forests and biodiversity, and for dealing with natural disasters and supporting mountain communities.
Mr. Secretary-General,
In conclusion, I want to note that the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and its socioeconomic consequences, the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement should continue to be the top priorities of the united efforts and actions of the international community. It is essential that we ensure that no one is left behind, including landlocked developing mountainous countries.
As we stand together to confront today’s challenges and threats, the role of the United Nations is growing significantly. In that regard, I urge all of us to fully support and strengthen our Organization with the aim of collectively solving global problems for the sake of sustainable development.
Thank you for your attention.