In 2019 75th anniversary of the establishment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic. In this regard, I would like to briefly share with information about the formation of Kyrgyz diplomacy and the foreign policy of our country.

On February 1, 1944, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted the law "On the Granting of Powers to the Union Republics in the Field of Foreign Relations and on the Conversion of the People’s Commissariat of Foreign Affairs from the All-Union to the Union-Republican People’s Commissariat in this regard." In accordance with this Law, the Supreme Council of the Kyrgyz SSR on March 17, 1944 adopted the Law on the Formation of the Union-Republican People's Commissariat of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz SSR. Thus, March 17, 1944 should be considered the formation day of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic.

The history of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic is inextricably linked with the name of Kazy Dikambayev, who was appointed the first People's Commissar of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz SSR by Decree of the Supreme Council of the Kyrgyz SSR of July 31, 1944. Under his leadership (1944-1949), the first decisions were made, the first documents that laid the foundation for Kyrgyz diplomacy. During this period, the main attention of the People’s Commissariat of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz SSR was focused on personnel training, consular and organizational-protocol work.

In the future, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic was headed by the following ministers who contributed to the development of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic - Sh. Tayanov (1949-1953), K. Konduchalova (1953-1963) S. Begmatova (1963-1980) , J. Tashibekova (1980-1986), R. Otunbaeva (1986-1989, 1994-1997, 2005), Zh. Tumenbaeva (1989-1991), M. Imanaliev (1991-1992 years., 1997-2002), E. Karabaev (1992-1994, 2007-2009), A. Aitmatov (2002-2005), A. Dzhekshenkulov (2005-2007), K .Sarbaev (2009-2010), R.Kazakbaev (2010-2012), E. Abdyldaev (2012-2018), Ch. Aidarbekov (2018-present).

Largely thanks to their professionalism and perseverance, the status of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has significantly changed, its role as an independent institution has increased. Professional diplomats who speak foreign languages ​​began to be involved in the work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - this positively affected the efficiency and quality of work of the apparatus of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic. Currently, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic is a very important and necessary institution of power to protect and promote foreign policy and foreign economic interests of the Kyrgyz Republic. Decently defending national interests, increasing the authority of the state in the international arena and providing international support.

October 24 is annually celebrated the Day of the diplomatic worker of the Kyrgyz Republic. This holiday was established in accordance with the Decree of the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic No. 689 of October 21, 1998. Such a holiday as the Day of the Diplomatic Worker of Kyrgyzstan is intended to emphasize the important role of employees of diplomatic services in implementing the country's foreign policy and foreign economic policy. The diplomatic workers of Kyrgyzstan have a great responsibility for adequately representing the country's national interests in the international arena.

Events timed to coincide with the Day of the Kyrgyz Diplomatic Worker usually include ceremonies of congratulations to diplomatic staff directly in the field, as well as awarding ceremonies for the most distinguished workers.

I want to emphasize that the event of August 31, 1991, when the Supreme Council of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan adopted the “Declaration of State Independence of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan”, laid the foundations of the foreign policy of Kyrgyzstan, since the Declaration was the first legislative document in the field of foreign policy that proclaimed Kyrgyzstan’s commitment to universally recognized principles of international law .

Independence of Kyrgyzstan at the end of December 1991 was among the first to be recognized by three states (currently more than 135 countries), which simultaneously established diplomatic relations with it: December 24 - the Turkish Republic, December 26 - Australia and December 27 - the United States of America. The following year, 1992, 59 countries of the world established diplomatic relations with Kyrgyzstan (more than 100 countries in the present). It was especially important for the formation of the young state that among them were all countries - members of the European Union and Switzerland, as well as Russia, China, Japan, India, Iran and South Korea.

The most important direction in the development of international cooperation of the Kyrgyz Republic in the first years of independence was activity within the CIS. Kyrgyzstan, like other Central Asian countries, was admitted to the OSCE in January 1992. On July 8, 1992, Kyrgyzstan joined the fundamental documents of the OSCE. On June 3, 1994, the Republic signed the Paris Charter of European Security.

A special role in the successful establishment of the foreign policy of Kyrgyzstan in the first half of the 90s was played by cooperation with the European Union. The beginning of cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and the EU dates back to April 1992, initially based on the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic and the European Commission of April 3, 1992.

Of fundamental importance for the Kyrgyz Republic was ensuring regional security by inclusion in such security structures as the Collective Security Treaty (1992) and the Shanghai Five (1996).

On March 2, 1992, at the 46th session of the UN General Assembly, Kyrgyzstan was unanimously admitted to this authoritative organization. Over the years since joining the UN, Kyrgyzstan has put forward a number of foreign policy initiatives. Among them were the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of the Manas epic, the 2,200th anniversary of Kyrgyz statehood and the introduction of International Mountain Day in 2002. The Kyrgyz Republic raised the issues of the development of mountainous regions and the prevention of the radiation hazard in Central Asia from the international community. At the initiative of Kyrgyzstan, since 2009, World Social Justice Day has been celebrated. Kyrgyzstan appealed to the UN on issues of terrorism, drug trafficking, security, hydropower, uranium tailings, ecology and on socio-economic issues.

The Kyrgyz Republic as a sovereign state took an active part in peacekeeping operations.

The first armed conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh was stopped in 1994. thanks to efforts, including by Kyrgyzstan, after the signing of the Ceasefire Agreement in Bishkek, better known as the Bishkek Protocol.

Since 1993, according to the decision of the Council of the Heads of State of the CIS "On Measures to Stabilize the Situation on the Section of the State Border of the Republic of Tajikistan with Afghanistan," the Kyrgyz peacekeeping forces guarded the section of the Tajik-Afghan border. Until 1999, more than 4 thousand Kyrgyzstanis passed through this connection.

Kyrgyzstan has repeatedly proposed using Bishkek as a platform for peace talks on Afghanistan.

I want to recall one significant historical fact and the role of Kyrgyz diplomacy in that situation. In 1992, a civil war broke out in Tajikistan, many people died, and thousands of Tajiks became refugees.

During this conflict, in the cities of Moscow, Tehran, Almaty, Ashgabat and others. Negotiations were held at the international level to resolve the problem between the Tajik government and the country's opposition. Most of them have failed.

In 1996, Kyrgyzstan acted as a guarantor of peace in Tajikistan, in particular through the efforts of Kyrgyz diplomacy, and a ceasefire agreement was signed in Bishkek with the participation of several countries and representatives of international organizations. Despite the economic difficulties in the country, Kyrgyzstan received about 60 thousand Tajik refugees who, after stabilizing the situation in Tajikistan, returned to their homeland.

I want to note that the leadership of the Kyrgyz Republic paid special attention to the development of bilateral cooperation between the Kyrgyz Republic and the countries of the Central Asian region.

In this context, I would like to express my opinion on Kyrgyz-Tajik relations. The Kyrgyz people carefully treated international relations in past centuries. The Kyrgyz especially sought to develop friendly and family relations with ethnically close peoples.

It was in the epic "Manas" for the first time that the origins of the kinship of the Kyrgyz and Tajik peoples were captured. In the epic "Manas" several separate plots were developed in detail, the largest of which is the matchmaking and the marriage of Manas to Tajik Sanirabiig (after marriage, Sanirabiig was called the new symbolic name - "Kanykei", which means "spouse of the khan", "named khan") - the embodiment of the best female virtues.

Thus, the friendship of our peoples is rooted in history and for many centuries, our peoples are bound by a common historical destiny, which related us. Thinking about the history of relations between our peoples, I note with deep satisfaction the closeness of cultural and spiritual values, the common destiny that predetermined the common future of the Kyrgyz and Tajiks in our diverse and beautiful region.

Our countries occupy concurring or close positions on key regional and international problems. Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan actively cooperate and support each other in multilateral regional and international organizations. Both states play an important role in the activities of the CIS, CSTO and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, ensuring peace and stability in the Central Asian region.

A solid legal base of bilateral relations has been formed, which covers a wide range of our cooperation. Our countries regularly hold a political dialogue. Political contacts are maintained at the level of Heads of State, Prime Ministers, Foreign Ministers, heads of ministries and departments.

Bilateral trade and economic relations between our countries are developing taking into account the mutual aspiration of the two economies, understanding the similarities of resource, natural, water-energy, transport and communication, as well as transit opportunities of the two countries.

Currently, the Parties are actively working on resolving complex issues related to the delimitation and demarcation of the Kyrgyz-Tajik state border. I consider it extremely important in every possible way to speed up the solution of the issue of delimitation of borders, on which not only the security of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, but the entire region as a whole depends.

I want to note that in July of this year Heads of state first visited the Kyrgyz-Tajik border area. Then, working visits were made by President of the Kyrgyz Republic S. Jeenbekov to the city of Isfara and President E. Rakhmon to the city of Cholpon-Ata. Our Presidents held fruitful negotiations, during which a wide range of topical issues of Kyrgyz-Tajik cooperation was discussed. Particular attention was paid to issues related to the delimitation of the state border. I believe that this meeting is historically important, which gave a new impetus to the intensification of the Kyrgyz-Tajik negotiations on border issues.

I express confidence that a regular high-level political dialogue will open new horizons for the further development of multifaceted relations between our fraternal countries and will facilitate their withdrawal to new frontiers in mutually beneficial cooperation.

In conclusion, I would like to note that our countries have enormous development potential and our key task is to build up bilateral ties and make full use of available opportunities. Therefore, the issues of expanding cooperation in all areas of cooperation become the subject of constant and detailed discussion at the Kyrgyz-Tajik negotiations.

 

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kyrgyz Republic to the Republic of Tajikistan Zh. Rustenbekov