ACTIVITIES OF SECRETARY-GENERAL IN KYRGYZ REPUBLIC, 20-21 OCTOBER

On Sunday afternoon, 20 October, the Secretary-General and his party traveled to Bishkek to begin an official visit to Kyrgyzstan.  President Askar Akayev met them at the airport.  Later, the Secretary-General met for more than an hour with the President, including one-on-one sessions before and after meeting with their delegations.

At a press encounter after that meeting, the Secretary-General said that their discussions included economic and social development, the fight against terrorism, drug-trafficking, good governance and the United Nations-Kyrgyz relationship, which, he said, was “excellent”.  Their talks also touched on the Year of the Mountains, which will conclude with the Mountains Summit in Bishkek later in October.

In response to a question about Iraq, the Secretary-General said that he expected the Security Counsel to adopt a resolution “in the not-too-distant future”, strengthening the hand of the United Nations inspectors and sending them back into Iraq.  “And I urge Iraq to heed that call”, he added, “and comply”.

Before the press conference, the President awarded the Secretary-General the Order of Manas, the highest honour the Government can give to exceptional individuals.  (See press release SG/SM/8448 of 21 October).

The Secretary-General then met with leading members of Parliament, including the Speakers of the upper and lower houses.

On Sunday evening, the President and First Lady hosted a dinner in honour of the Secretary-General and his wife.

On Monday morning, the Secretary-General inaugurated the new United Nations House in Bishkek, which will provide common workspace to all United Nations agencies with programmes in Kyrgyzstan.  He was joined by President Askar Akayev, with whom he cut the ribbon, declaring the handsomely-renovated three-story structure “open for business”.

It was more than a building, the Secretary-General told the staff.  It was a symbol “of your commitment to work better together, and of the very concept on which the United Nations itself was built –- a house of all nations, held together by common bonds”.  He added, ”This is our real proving ground.  Unless we can make a real difference to the lives of people in developing and transition countries, such as Kyrgyzstan, we will not achieve the Millennium Development Goals, and the United Nations will not justify its continued existence in the twenty-first century.”

The Government had embarked on an ambitious project to strengthen local government, he observed.  It was seeking to democratize power structures throughout the country and revive Kyrgyzstan’s reputation as a country committed to human rights and democracy.

“You are here to work with the Kyrgyz people”, he told the United Nations staff, “in overcoming the tensions revealed by the recent crisis”.  He referred to demonstrations earlier this year in which five protesters were killed.  He praised the President for his eagerness to work with the United Nations country team on conflict prevention.  (See Press Release SG/SM/8449 of 21 October).

The Secretary-General then entered the building, conferred with heads of United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, and then addressed the assembled staff, taking questions on the Middle East, Iraq and Security Council reform among other topics.

At midday, he flew to Dushanbe, Tajikistan.