Kyrgyzstan

Osmonakun IbraimovI would like at the outset to join in all the congratulations that have been extended to the President on his election as President of the fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly. I would like to assure him that our delegation is ready to cooperate fully with him and also to wish him, on behalf of the Kyrgyz delegation, success in carrying out his duties. Our delegation would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, on his re-election to a second term of office and also on his winning the Nobel Peace Prize, together with the United Nations, this year. We consider that this award was well deserved. The work of this session is taking place at an extremely complex time for the international community. Today, from this lofty rostrum, on behalf of the people of Kyrgyzstan, I convey our deepest condolences to the people and the Government of the United States in connection with the tragic events of 11 September this year, which claimed many victims. Terrorism has laid down an extremely dangerous challenge to all of civilized humanity, democracy and freedom. In this context, the efforts of the international community aimed at combating terrorism, first and foremost within the framework of the United Nations, are fully supported by Kyrgyzstan, and our Government is taking all necessary measures to implement Security Council resolutions 1368 (2001) and 1373 (2001). From the very outset, we have supported and will continue to support the activities of the United States and other countries within the anti- terrorist coalition, and consider the military operations to be inevitable and justified actions. Our position of principle with respect to terrorism stems from Kyrgyzstan’s position at the epicentre of the struggle against international terrorism and against the illegal trafficking in drugs and weapons, which are a threat to the stability and security not only of the Central Asian region but of the entire civilized world. Our country has for three years been defending itself against incursions by terrorist bands that have resulted in the deaths of entirely innocent people. If it had not been for our firm determination to take a stand against terrorism and keep a firm lock on our borders, then serious destabilization of the entire region would have been inevitable. We do not wish to exaggerate our role, but it is we who have prevented the terrorists from 5 crossing our borders into other countries. I would also like to note that Kyrgyzstan has also made its territory available and the necessary transport vehicles for the transit of international humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan on the Osh-Ishkashim-Faizabad road. A serious problem for us is that of refugees who have come to the territory of our Republic from the region of the conflict. Kyrgyzstan already hosts approximately 2,000 Afghan refugees. Their numbers could increase very rapidly. All of this is a very serious problem, and finding a solution will require active assistance from the relevant international organizations. Over the last few years we have all seen Afghanistan become a sanctuary for various international terrorist organizations. After the fall of Kabul yesterday, the inter-Afghan conflict has entered a completely new phase. Moreover, it is now more urgent than ever to deal with the question of a mutually acceptable solution to untie the Afghan knot. Kyrgyzstan proceeds from a deep understanding of the need for rapidly winding up the military confrontation in Afghanistan, with the subsequent formation in that long-suffering country of a broadly representative, multi-ethnic Government, that, first and foremost, meets the interests and aspirations of the Afghan people. In this connection, Kyrgyzstan welcomes constructive ideas and proposals aimed at establishing a long-awaited peace in Afghanistan. For our part, we consistently express our readiness to cooperate with all the countries involved in order to settle the Afghan conflict. We consider that it is precisely the United Nations, with its experience, capabilities and institutional potential, that should play a key role in bringing together the efforts of the international community to combat terrorism. In this regard, Kyrgyzstan proposes the creation of a special committee of the United Nations to restore peace and stability in Afghanistan, which could be a coordinating body for all the practical measures to this end. Today we would like to recall one of the well- known initiatives of the President of Kyrgyzstan, Askar Akayev, to hold a forum for dialogue on security questions between the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Organization of the Islamic Conference. It seems to us that there is now an urgent need for such a dialogue between these two authoritative organizations. In this connection, Kyrgyzstan took the very important initiative to hold on 13-14 December of this year, under the aegis of the OSCE in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, an international conference on enhancing security and stability in Central Asia and strengthening comprehensive efforts to counter terrorism. We are now making active preparations, together with the secretariat of the OSCE, for this important measure. In our view, the participation of the United Nations in that event would facilitate a consolidated solution for working out joint approaches to combating terrorism. This would be an important step in strengthening the international community’s capacity to avert the threat to security in Central Asia, including by expanding the assistance to countries in that region in the face of the growing threat. It is encouraging to note that many States, including participants in the anti-terrorist coalition, are showing serious interest in the Bishkek international conference to combat terrorism. Kyrgyzstan attaches great importance to questions of sustainable development. In this regard, my delegation greatly appreciates the decision of the fifty-fifth session of the General Assembly to hold a World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is a pleasure to note that Kyrgyzstan made a very significant contribution to the preparation of the Rio + 10 summit on problems of sustainable development, having organized, together with the United Nations Secretariat, in Bishkek, a regional round table. The results of the round table will certainly be reflected in the key documents of the World Summit in Johannesburg. As we well know, the United Nations has proclaimed next year the International Year of Mountains. This is certainly a very important and productive initiative on a global level. We, the members of the delegation of Kyrgyz Republic, can indeed be proud that one of the most important initiatives of the International Year of Mountains was taken by our President, Askar Akayev. It is indeed true that the mountains of the world are a symbol of the lofty ideals of humankind, but mountains also pose related ecological, economic and social problems for the people living in those areas. High mountains should not cause these problems for their inhabitants. I fully agree fully with Mrs. Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the Foreign Minister of Austria, that the International Year of Mountains should be a year 6 for new initiatives for exchanging experience and drafting new programmes of cooperation. The acuity of the ecological problems of mountainous areas and their connection to economic problems led our specialists to examine international experience in order to see how to restructure our debts by seeking debt-relief in exchange for ecological initiatives. We feel that this approach provides a unique opportunity for financing national ecological and environmental projects and economic investment programmes. We should also like to express the hope that at the upcoming International Conference on Financing for Development in Mexico, sufficient attention will be given to the specific problems of mountainous countries. We wish to take this opportunity to welcome the decision of Member States to hold an official opening ceremony for the International Year of Mountains in New York in December of next year. We also note with great satisfaction that in October 2002, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek, will welcome representatives from all over the world for the Bishkek Global Mountain Summit. We are already preparing for this very important event, which will take place during the International Year of Mountains. We wish to express our hope that the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Kofi Annan, will be able participate in the Summit. In conclusion, I should like to express our deep conviction that the efforts of United Nations Member States and the entire world community are aimed at implementing the ideals and principles enshrined in the Millennium Declaration and the United Nations Charter, and that they will lead to the triumph of peace, freedom and democracy.