19 November 1999
PRESIDENT AKAYEV LEAVES ISTAMBUL SUMMIT EARLY.
The Kyrgyz delegation led by President Askar Akayev left Istanbul for Kyrgyzstan in the morning of 19 November, just after signing of the European Security Charter. Leaders of 54 countries have signed the charter. Akayev had planned before that he would visit places hit by the earthquake following the OSCE summit.
Akayev delivered a speech at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe summit in Istanbul on 18 November. Akayev said the following: "Kyrgyzstan appeared to be on the front line of confrontation with international terrorism when foreign armed bands invaded its territory last August, took hostages and began military actions against government forces. The conflict has been over, terrorists have been pushed back, and thehostages have been released alive and healthy. But there is still a possibility of a repetition of the situation. In connection with this, I think it is expedient to pay special attention to questions of combating international terrorism, to our joint efforts in the eradication of this evil".
NO GAS FROM UZBEKISTAN YET.
Chief manager of the Bishkek power and heating station Vasili Gigin announced on 19 November that the station is working with a minimal volume of gas delivered from the Kazakh Intergas company. The station receives 17,000 cubic meters of gas per hour from Kazakhstan now, but it needs 3-4 times more for normal work. According to Gigin, if the weather turns cold, the heating process will be interrupted for sure.
DATE OF PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IS SET.
The text of President Askar Akayev's decree on the date of the next parliamentary elections was published in local media on 19 November. According to the decree, the elections will be held on 20 February 2000. The decree was signed on 12 November and became effecting on 19 November.
300 PEOPLE WILL BE AWARDED SOON.
According to the presidential press service, more than 300 Kyrgyz citizens will be decorated soon with state awards for their heroism during the 2-month rebel-crisis in Kyrgyzstan in August-October. 32 people will be decorated with the Third Class Manas Order, 142 people with the Glory Medal, and 6 people with the Medal for Courage. A festive meeting with the participation of President Akayev will be held in Bishkek on 22 November.
HEAD OF MIGRATION ORGANIZATION TO KYRGYZSTAN.
According to the presidential press service, the head of the International Migration Organization, Brunson McCinley, will arrive in Kyrgyzstan on 25 November and will stay in the country for 3 days. He will meet with President Askar Akayev, Prime Minister Amangeldi Muraliev, Parliamentary Speaker Abdygany Erkebaev, Foreign Minister Muratbek Imanaliev, and other high officials and discuss migration processes in Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia. It is his first visit to Central Asia.
PRESIDENT AKAYEV AT OSCE SUMMIT.
Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev delivered a speech at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe summit in Istanbul on 18 November. Akayev said that Kyrgyzstan turned to be at the front lines with international terrorism in August-October. The rebels had been pushed back and the hostages had been released, but a new rebel-crisis could happen next spring. That is why the OSCE role in preventing such kind of crises in Central Asia should be more important in the future. Also, Akayev suggested creating forum dialogue on the problem between the OSCE and the Organization of Islamic Conference.
BISHKEK DENIES THAT REBELS WENT THROUGH KYRGYZSTAN.
Governmental spokesman Farid Niyazov announced in Bishkek on 18 November that no rebels had gone through Kyrgyz territory recently.
There was a shooting between police and rebels in the village of Yangiabad in Uzbekistan on 15 November. 3 policemen and 3 civilians were killed. Uzbek President Islam Karimov told journalists in Tashkent on 17 November that this had been done by rebels of the same organization, militants who invaded Kyrgyzstan last August. Karimov blamed the Kyrgyzstan leadership for what he called "games" and "weaknesses" in dealing with the rebels when they were in Kyrgyzstan.
A high official in the Kyrgyz Security Ministry, Talantbek Razzakov, announced in Bishkek on 18 November that only a person who does not know geography could say that the rebels shooting in Yangiabad had come from Kyrgyzstan. According to the press service for the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry, the ministry is preparing a protest note to Uzbekistan.
NO GAS FROM UZBEKISTAN YET.
According to the governmental Kyrgyzgas company, its Director General Latypjan Sagynbaev has gone to Tashkent to negotiate with Uzbek authorities on the resumption of natural gas deliveries from Uzbekistan to Kyrgyzstan. According to the governmental press service, Prime Minister Amangeldi MurAliyev gave a phone call to the Uzbek government on 18 November trying to resolve the problem. Deputy Director General of Kyrgyzgas Toktosun AbduvAliyev told RFE/RL correspondent in Bishkek on 18 November that it will be very difficult to resolve the problem until Kyrgyzstan repays its debt to Uzbekistan for previous gas deliveries.
KYRGYZ OFFICIALS AT GENEVA MEETING.
According to the governmental press service, Prosecutor General Asanbek Sharshenaliev, Interior Minister Omurbek Kutuev and Chairman of the Presidential Commission on Human Rights MP Tursunbai Bakir Uulu are taking part in a meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva. The Commission began hearings on torture in Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan on 17 November. Kyrgyz officials will make a report at the meeting. It is expected that the Chairman of the independent Kyrgyz Committee for Human Rights Ramazan Dyryldayev will make an alternative report on the human rights situation in Kyrgyzstan.
INTERNATIONAL MEETING ON SECURITY.
Experts from the member-countries of the Shanghai-Five agreement continued in Bishkek on 18 November their meeting on security problems in the region. The meeting began on 17 Novbember and its participants are preparing a special meeting of the heads of security services of the 5 countries to be held in Bishkek on 30 November - 2 December.
PRESIDENT AKAYEV IN TURKEY.
The Kyrgyz delegation led by President Askar Akayev arrived in Istanbul from Denmark early in the morning of 17 November. Akayev met in Istanbul with President Eduard Shevardnadze of Georgia that same day and discussed security issues. Then, Akyaev had meetings with the Secretary-General of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Jan Kubis and OSCE high official on press freedom, Freimud Doowe. In the evening, there was to be a meeting between the five Central Asian presidents and thr OSCE Chairman Knut Vollebaek during an informal dinner. Security problems in Central Asia were to be discussed.
President Akayev was the third speaker at the OSCE summit after Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan and Russian President Boris Yeltsin. Akayev announced in Denmark that a new OSCE charter should become a charter for entire Eurasia, not only for Europe. Also, Akayev announced that French President Jacques Chirac had circulated his suggestions on how to fight international terrorism and he would talk about this at the summit.
BODY OF HOSTAGE FOUND.
The Interior Ministry announced in Bishkek on 17 November that the body of Sergeant Kasym Shadybekov had been found near the village of Korgon in the Batken district. According to the ministry, he had been killed by the rebels on 14 October. Shadybekov served in the police unit of the Taian village in southern Kyrgyzstan.
PRIME MINISTER TO GERMANY.
According to the governmental press service, Prime Minister Amangeldi MurAliyev departed on 18 November to Germany to take part in an international forum "Europe on the Eve of the New Century". MurAliyev will make a report on cooperation between the EU and CIS at the forum. One of the sponsors of the forum is the Financial Times newspaper. MurAliyev was to have meetings with the leadership of the Deimler-Benz and the Siemens companies during the visit.
WORLD BANK OFFICIAL IN BISHKEK.
World Bank director for Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan Kioshi Kadera held a meeting with Kyrgyz government officials in Bishkek on 17 November. It was announced at the meeting that loan agreements totaling $500 million have been signed between the WB and Kyrgyzstan so far. Kyrgyzstan has already received $350 million of this.
Also, it was announced at the meeting that Kyrgyzstan could receive the 17.5-million-dollar second part of the WB loan to reform the pension system in the country only after implementation of the all tasks put by the International Monetary Fund. The IMF mission visited Kyrgyzstan on 5-16 November and rejected to give Kyrgyzstan the second loan in the framework of the Economic Structural Adjustment Facility (ESAF-2) program because Kyrgyzstan had not met IMF demands.