15:51, 22 апреля 2022, Bishkek - 24.kg news agency , Tatyana KUDRYAVTSEVA
Deputy Managing Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at the European External Action Service Luc Pierre Devigne visited Kyrgyzstan in early April. After the talks with the authorities he told 24.kg news agency about the cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and the EU and the influence of the anti-Russian sanctions on the Kyrgyz Republic.
— What topics were discussed with the Kyrgyz authorities?
— We hold high-level events every year to discuss cooperation with Kyrgyzstan. This year we discussed the goals of cooperation and directions of development, human rights and democracy issues. A subcommittee on trade and economy worked.
The atmosphere was positive and friendly. The authorities of Kyrgyzstan demonstrated their willingness to discuss all the issues raised by the EU.
Luc Pierre Devigne
They did not refuse to discuss anything. In general, we can say that Kyrgyzstan’s relations with the EU are good. Traditionally, the Kyrgyz Republic is viewed by the EU as the closest to our values partner compared to other countries in the region, even though there have been not very positive changes recently.
— What political issues did you discuss with the government of the Kyrgyz Republic?
— The conversation concerned two important areas — the laws on protection against fake information and on NGOs, which provides for additional reporting.
In general, the relations between the countries are good and there are not many problems between the partners.
Luc Pierre Devigne
Work of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP+), cooperation projects, regional security issues, the international situation related to Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Ukraine, and sanctions policy against Russia were discussed.
— How could the sanctions affect Kyrgyzstan?
— As for the sanctions, you know the outcome of the vote: how many countries supported the decision, how many opposed it, and who turned out to be neutral.
We understand Kyrgyzstan’s concerns: how will the sanctions against Russia affect the country’s economy.
Luc Pierre Devigne
The sanctions are not aimed at third countries and ordinary Russians. They are directed against the elite, businesses that we believe are connected with the Russian leadership. We understand that there will be attempts to circumvent the sanctions — to find a loophole in them. The question is to what extent third countries, in particular the EAEU, are ready to circumvent the sanctions, given the free movement of goods and trade relations with Russia.
— If, for example, a European company that left the Russian market opens in the Kyrgyz Republic, will this be a violation?
— If a European company decided to leave the Russian market and wants to open a representative office here, in Kyrgyzstan, there is no problem. They can operate here. But if a bank that is under sanctions decides to do so, then this is another matter.
The EU will monitor the situation and take some action, if necessary.
Some requirements, for example, relate to aircraft. We know that the Russian Federation has, in fact, decided to «steal» planes that belong to other organizations. If, contrary to ICAO requirements, an aircraft without a flight certificate is in a third country, it is considered to be a violation of international law and will have consequences.
— Will ICAO track the movement of such aircraft?
— Yes, the organization has a list of aircraft that do not have flight certificates.
— Can European companies open in Kyrgyzstan and organize re-export to Russia without any consequences?
— There is no ban on trade with Russia. There is a certain list of goods that were subject to sanctions, for example in the gas sphere. If Kyrgyzstan says that the country needs such goods, and then starts re-exporting them to Russia, it can definitely be called a circumvention of sanctions, and partners will not understand it.
— You touched upon the laws on protection against fake information and on NGOs. Have you made any recommendations to the Kyrgyz authorities?
— We stressed the importance of civil society and human rights defenders and expressed regret about the adoption of the draft law on NGOs, which establishes additional requirements. As for the law on fakes, we noted that what is published on social media should not be prosecuted and subject to criminal punishment.
People should not be forced to publicly apologize.
Luc Pierre Devigne
We discussed the law on extremist activity. There’s certainly nothing wrong with the idea of such a law, but it all depends on the details that it may contain.
— Let’s talk about trade relations. Why, after so many years of using the GSP+ system, the Kyrgyz market has not reoriented and does not supply as many goods as possible?
— We have the status usage ratio. We monitor how successfully countries use it. Kyrgyzstan has the lowest usage rates in terms of food and leather. This is due to the high and strict standards placed on products.
An example is the 2021 ban on imports of Kyrgyz honey to the EU, which was found to contain antibiotics.
Unfortunately, some of the products do not pass tests in EU laboratories. This may be due to the lack of laboratories of this level in the Kyrgyz Republic. We have a program that helps create them. But it doesn’t happen quickly.
It must be kept in mind that the vast majority of goods exported from Kyrgyzstan are raw materials, precious metals and consumer goods, but they are not covered by the GSP+ scheme.