AKIPRESS.COM - Madam Ambassador, on July 3, at the U.S. Independence Day Reception you announced that you are completing your diplomatic mission in Kyrgyzstan ahead of schedule. In this regard, Information Agency AKI-Press has a few questions for you.
1. First, may I ask why you have decided to resign from your position and retire early?
Thank you. After thirty-three years of service to the country that I love, most of which has been abroad, I will move back to my beloved home state of California and to my wonderful family. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the American people all these years and to represent the United States as a diplomat in several countries. It has been an incredible honor to serve my country and to represent the President of the United States as the U.S. Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic. Family holds a special place, both in the Kyrgyz Republic and in America, and I very much looking forward to being able to spend time with my family each and every day.
2. You stepped into the post of U.S. Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic at a challenging period in the bilateral relationship. A month before your arrival, the Government of Kyrgyzstan terminated the 1993 Cooperation Agreement with the United States. Probably, it was not easy for you to begin work in such a situation?
Well, all relationships have periodic challenges as they mature and develop. I was absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to return to the Kyrgyz Republic in 2015. The United States values tremendously our long-term friendship with the Kyrgyz people. As the personal representative of the President of the United States, it has been my honor to continue working to deepen the ties between our two nations. I believe that the best approach in most situations is to take both a short and long-term view, and always strive to advance progress toward the ultimate goal. For the United States, this goal is simple and enduring -- the success of the Kyrgyz Republic.
3. What objectives did you set upon assuming your post? Do you think you’ve achieved your goals?
Our countries have a long history of successful collaboration. Since Kyrgyz independence, the United States has provided more than $2 billion dollars in grant funding to support programs that strengthen democratic institutions, enhance economic productivity, and increase access to education and health care services. On arrival, my overriding objective was to continue building on that history by strengthening our partnership with the Kyrgyz people, and we have. Since 1991, over 4,000 people from the Kyrgyz Republic have participated in our exchange programs. We deepened cooperation in the economic sphere, as demonstrated most recently by the first-ever visit of a U.S. Trade delegation keen to learn more about potential opportunities in the Kyrgyz Republic. Our partnerships have continued to improve healthcare services, including bolstering the fight against tuberculosis and other diseases. Our education programs have improved basic reading skills in schools throughout the country and our English-language programs have strengthened language skills throughout the country, especially with the tremendous efforts of the Peace Corps. USAID-supported agricultural programs have boosted production, helped farmers find solutions to storage, packaging and marketing challenges, and improved the nutritional status of families in targeted regions. In June, I was honored to visit the Uzgen mausoleum and see how our project there will help preserve that sacred historical site. It is a truly incredible site, and I am pleased that the United States is contributing to safeguarding this remarkable testament to the long and storied history of the Kyrgyz people.
4. You had already held the DCM position in Bishkek from 1999-2002. What differences do you notice between these two periods?
I have many very fond memories of my first tour in the Kyrgyz Republic. I had the opportunity to travel around this beautiful country and meet many wonderful people. When I returned two years ago, I saw real changes – first, of course, with all of the construction in Bishkek. Then, as I travelled throughout the country, I saw more growing regional cities and advances in the rural areas too, all filled with progress and great promise for further development. The high level of engagement of the Kyrgyz Republic’s vibrant civil society is also remarkable, and speaks to the commitment that the Kyrgyz people have made to continuing on the democratic path that they have chosen. I am also impressed by the emphasis that so many have placed on improving the quality of healthcare and education available to Kyrgyz citizens, which is so important for building your children’s future and supporting the ongoing development of your country’s human capital. I have really enjoyed watching as the Kyrgyz Republic has made its “brand” more widely known internationally as a destination for international tourism, partially as a result of international promotion and destination management support from USAID.
There is one very important thing that has not changed since the time I first had the honor to live in your country. That is the people, the people of this wonderful country who remain open, very kind and extremely gracious – the most hospitable people in the world. Your young people are filled with great promise and potential and I look forward, as a soon-to-be-retiree, to reading and hearing about the great progress that your country will continue to make.
5. In December 2016, Bishkek celebrated the 25th anniversary of the U.S.-Kyrgyz cooperation. You said in your speech that, “The United States provides Kyrgyzstan more support than any other country in Central Asia, because the United States believes in the democratic path that the Kyrgyz Republic is on.” Has U.S. support decreased following the termination of the Bilateral Agreement in 2015 or with the transition to the Trump Administration?
Our bilateral relationship is based on shared interests, cooperation, and mutual respect. This strong foundation has ensured consistency and stability in our relationship across successive U.S. presidential administrations. In the United States, policy proposals are discussed and debated, sometimes at length, in our Congress. Our elected representatives are still discussing future budget levels, and it is still too early to predict for certain whether there will be significant changes to the cooperative funding support for the Kyrgyz Republic. However, I can assure you that the United States’ commitment to the Kyrgyz people is unwavering, and we expect to continue to support their development goals moving forward. In the meantime, we will continue our cooperation that focuses on improving health and education services, strengthening democratic institutions, and creating jobs and greater opportunities for the Kyrgyz people in the agricultural, apparel, and tourism sectors.
6. What progress has been made towards signing a new assistance agreement?
We appreciate the ongoing dialogue we have with the Kyrgyz government. We remain dedicated to finding a mutually agreeable way forward on our cooperative activities with the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic based on trust, equality, and mutual respect. Negotiations toward a new agreement are detailed work, and we are committed to continuing to engage with and support the people of the Kyrgyz Republic moving forward.
7. Please tell us about regional security, about the impact of Afghanistan, terrorism, ISIL. How much do you think these factors threaten Kyrgyzstan?
Our countries share an interest in the stability, security, and prosperity of the Kyrgyz Republic and the region. Our security cooperation has historically included bilateral work in key, mutually beneficial areas, such as counterterrorism, counter-narcotics, and border security. With the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan and the shared goal of combatting increasing global threats such as ISIS, we look forward to continuing, and potentially expanding, security cooperation in the future to strengthen our countries’ abilities to appropriately respond to these challenges and to safeguard national security in your country and in mine.
8. During your work here (in November 2016,) the U.S Embassy started issuing immigrant visas to Kyrgyz citizens. Earlier we had had to travel to Almaty for those visas. How many Kyrgyz citizens received U.S. immigration visas since then?
Yes, I am very pleased that we can now issue immigrant visas here in Bishkek to Kyrgyz citizens! I recall the first immigrant visa we were able to process here, which was to a very impressive young woman who had qualified through the diversity visa lottery. While we know that most Kyrgyz citizens want to remain close to their families and friends and live their lives in their home country of the Kyrgyz Republic, there are special cases when families need to be reunited or when people wish to seek new opportunities in other countries. I think it is terrific that we were able to bring immigrant visa processing here so people in need of those services are not inconvenienced by having to travel all the way to Almaty, often multiple times. Since November of last year we have issued 256 immigrant visas. I am also very proud of our ongoing work and coordination with Kyrgyz authorities on inter-country adoptions. Since this process resumed in 2014, 74 Kyrgyz children have been united with loving families in the United States. As a part of this effort, we have even held Digital Video Conferences in order to facilitate direct conversations between Kyrgyz officials with some of the American families and adopted children. These discussions have demonstrated the extent to which we share the commitment to ensuring that children grow up in safe, loving families. Like the Kyrgyz people, our overriding goal is to ensure that all children can be raised in a loving and caring environment, with access to excellent nutrition, social and medical services and an excellent education.
9. During your time here you traveled a lot, visiting several most provinces of Kyrgyzstan. What did you get from these meetings?
In travelling throughout this beautiful country, I have seen the positive impact of our joint programs and the development of strong people-to-people ties. I have personally enjoyed the riches of Kyrgyz culture and my interaction with the kind, warm and very hospitable people of the Kyrgyz Republic. I regularly meet alumni of U.S. exchange programs and see how they are contributing to their communities. The Second World Nomad Games were an amazing celebration of nomadic culture, and a wonderful introduction to the natural beauty of the Kyrgyz Republic for many international viewers. I will remember always the tremendous hospitality, good sportsmanship and camaraderie we saw on the Kok Boru field, with expert Kyrgyz horsemen helping our Wyoming cowboys learn to play the game. And I will remember always the lovely gentlemen who stood up in the stands and offered to help coach our team! Most recently I travelled to Batken and Osh, where I met with hard-working farmers, including one gentleman who oversaw a collective farm during the Soviet era, whom we are now supporting to help modernize agricultural techniques and equipment, and with elected officials who are working diligently to advance opportunities for their people.
10. We know that you were learning Kyrgyz language and even made you speeches in Kyrgyz. Was difficult for you? Will you continue studying it, even after leaving Kyrgyzstan?
Unfortunately I don’t speak Kyrgyz very well; I wish my Kyrgyz language abilities were better, but I have done my best to learn the language of Magnanimous Manas. It is a beautiful, rich language. I take Kyrgyz classes, and I try to talk to my friends and colleagues in their native tongue to express my respect for this wonderful country, and for its great history, rich culture, natural beauty, and warm and hospitable people. If I have a chance to say “Salamatsyzby” to a person from the Kyrgyz Republic in the future, I will be thrilled.
11. What impressions about Kyrgyzstan will you take with you?
That’s easy. The people, of course! I have always admired the incredible warmth, hospitality, and generosity of the Kyrgyz people. The way families and communities here support one another is a wonderful strength. The young people of the Kyrgyz Republic are very impressive – smart, energetic and ready to make a difference in the world. They are a national treasure.
Everywhere I have been, I have been deeply impressed by the hard work and great achievements to build a good life the people of the Kyrgyz Republic have accomplished for their families and their country. I have met your amazing children and grandchildren and been deeply impressed by their energy, intelligence, and promise for the future. So I will greatly miss the Kyrgyz people and their beautiful country. I wish the people of the Kyrgyz Republic all the very best, good health, happiness, and prosperity in all that they do in the future. Wherever I am, whatever I do, my heart will be beating for Kyrgyzstan.
12. It is already known who will be the next U.S. Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan?
That will be a question for another day. I am certain that whoever has the honor to be the next U.S. Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic will be an experienced and able diplomat.
Thank you for the interview.