We are disappointed to see the government’s statement renouncing the 1993 Bilateral Agreement despite our long, deep, and mutually beneficial partnership with Kyrgyzstan. The United States was one of the first countries to recognize Kyrgyzstan’s independence. We have provided nearly $2 billion in assistance since then, in the spirit of partnership and to support and strengthen Kyrgyzstan’s democratic transition.
The 1993 agreement is the legal framework through which the United States has always facilitated humanitarian and technical economic assistance in Kyrgyzstan. We continue to study the technical impact of this decision, which could put assistance programs that benefit the Kyrgyzstani people in jeopardy, including programs to address violent extremism, increase economic growth and job creation, improve the educational system, and support the continued democratic development of Kyrgyzstan. We will continue to engage with and support the people of Kyrgyzstan.
The Kyrgyz Republic receives the highest level of development assistance in Central Asia precisely because it shares the United States’ democratic values, seeking to create economic opportunity for its citizens, and to ensure a healthy and well educated populace. The primary reason for our sustained and successful collaboration is the openness of our relationship and our effective cooperation, partnering to confront the most crucial development challenges facing the Kyrgyz Republic.
The list below, while not comprehensive, provides a few examples of how United States assistance has directly benefited the Government of Kyrgyzstan and the Kyrgyzstani people:
Health:
Because of USAID-provided vaccines and training, Kyrgyzstan was the only Central Asian nation to avoid a polio outbreak in 2010.
The U.S. supported health efforts to prevent and treat deadly tuberculosis and work closely with the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic to strengthen the country’s ability to limit the spread of this terrible disease.
U.S. Government assistance was pivotal in helping the Kyrgyz Republic become malaria free.
Maternal and child health activities funded by USAID have helped reduce the infant and child mortality rate in Kyrgyzstan by two-thirds.
80% of Kyrgyzstanis receive health care through an insurance fund that was developed with assistance from the United States.
Agriculture:
USAID agriculture expertise helped to improve 5,500 hectares of agricultural land, increasing potato yields by 100,000 tons each year.
U.S. assistance has enabled farmers and agricultural businesses to increase their yields and the quality of their produce.
The $20 million U.S. – Kyrgyz Republic Development Fund distributed high quality seed that improved the productivity and livelihoods of 40,000 farmers, and improved Kyrgyz cattle breeds by introducing proven technologies from the United States and importing 200 cattle to livestock breeding farms.
Our efforts to make the Kyrgyz Republic’s poultry sector more competitive resulted in a 60% increase in egg production in Kyrgyzstan.
Education:
Over 500,000 students have gained fair, corruption-free access to college though a standardized test created in 2002 with U.S. funding and support.
U.S. assistance helps primary school students across the country gain valuable reading skills at an early age that will open the door to better livelihoods and more enriching lives.
Infrastructure:
U.S. funding helped local government to repair shared infrastructure in volatile communities after the June 2010 events:
- Providing $3.7 million in equipment to key institutions;
- Rebuilding or repairing 18 government offices, supporting 138 education facilities and 18 youth centers;
- Repairing 30 irrigation canals, which increased water access for 80 communities, reducing conflicts over water;
- Replacing traffic lights at 44 intersections in five southern cities, which resulted in a 58% reduction in accidents in the first year;
- Providing 24 electricity transformers, which reduced conflicts over electricity supply in volatile communities; and
- Engaging 3,721 people in community clean-up projects.
Economy:
In Kyrgyzstan’s banking industry, U.S. funding has provided technical assistance to the National Bank to ensure that commercial banks’ accounting and audit systems comply with international standards.
Kyrgyzstan’s thriving microfinance sector was established through USAID support in the 1990s. Microfinance provides economic opportunity to a large number of Kyrgyzstani citizens, allowing them to follow their dreams, create better lives for their families, and build a brighter future for the country.
Security:
U.S. funding has helped Kyrgyzstan secure its borders and fight drug trafficking. We have supported the establishment of, and provided training, equipment and vehicles to Kyrgyz National Drug Control Service, provided operational support and assistance on joint counternarcotics investigations, and assisted in improving regional and international cooperation in counternarcotics work.
The United States funded the construction of a Practical Exercise and Training area for the State Customs Service that opened in November 2013, equipped with actual radiation portal monitors, vehicle scales and inspection facilities, baggage X-ray machines, classroom areas, and a full size passenger railcar for practical training. U.S. funding built 31 new and upgraded border observation towers along the Southern border for Kyrgyzstan’s State Border Service.
