Thomas Shannon: Work of US with Kyrgyzstan on ensuring security in Afghanistan continues
"Work of US with Kyrgyzstan on ensuring security in Afghanistan continues," the US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Shannon said today, speaking to students at the American University of Central Asia (AUCA).
Thomas Shannon said that this is his first visit to Central Asia. He congratulated Kyrgyzstan on the successful holding of the 2nd World Nomad Games.
"The United States support the development of relations with Central Asian countries. The United States have invested more than $20 billion in the Central Asian states, because it sees the potential for their successful development. Not only America, but also the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which provide financial support to projects in the region are interested in the construction of new infrastructure," Under Secretary of State said.
He added that the platform C5 + 1, proposed by the United States to Central Asian countries, should help to solve the existing problems, such as terrorism, extremism, climate change and disease. All five Central Asian countries took the initiative, which already shows the results.
Answering the question whether the US will conduct negotiations on the deployment of military base in Kyrgyzstan, Thomas Shannon said that the USA's interest in Kyrgyzstan is still high, because the country is a reliable partner.
"Work with the Kyrgyz Republic on ensuring security in Afghanistan continues. For 25 years, our two countries have been building mutually beneficial relationships that benefit both the United States and Kyrgyzstan. Our main task is to provide security and solve social issues, such as improving health care, education around the world," he added.
Answering a question about the case of human rights defender Azimzhan Askarov, Under Secretary of State said: "Promotion of human rights is a big part of our diplomacy. It was an important experience for us and for the Kyrgyz Republic, as there was a lot of disagreement on this issue. We accept and respect the point of view of Kyrgyzstan in this matter."
It was also stated that the US have constantly been providing assistance and support to our country, but we continue to depend not only on America, but also on Russia.
Thomas Shannon said he admires the way the KR has built its ideology. "There's no competition. We also understand that Kyrgyzstan needs good relations with neighboring countries. Our main goal - bilateral relations of the two countries to meet needs of people. We believe that the KR will become an important part of Central Asia globalization," he said.