President Kyrgyz Republic Rejects American Senator’s Remarks on So Called Circumvention of Sanctions

Q – Some media reported that that American Senator Robert Menendez wrote a letter to you in which he requested to observe the sanctions against Russia. Earlier, there was a report that a Kyrgyz company was detained while trying to deliver drones or unmanned aerial vehicles to Russia from China through Kazakhstan. Is there any reason to suspect that our country is helping to circumvent Western sanctions?

A – There is no reason to suspect. Russia and China do not depend on small Kyrgyzstan. Russia and China are neighboring countries. They have 4,000 kilometers of common border. If Russia wants to, it can transport any goods by sea or by rail. Yes, a Kyrgyz company was arrested in Kazakhstan while transporting a drone. The company explained that these drones were intended for agricultural purposes. However, currently we prohibit the export of drones and unmanned aerial vehicles.

The President said, “I receive many such letters not only from the senator, but also from other prominent officials too. I regard this as just a search for another excuse to put pressure on Kyrgyzstan and drawing it into their side. We will not allow that”

We are a sovereign state. We treat all countries equally. We pursue a multi-vector policy. At the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine issue, we expressed our position of neutrality. We will adhere to this position in the future. Whether we change our position or not, the situation will not change. It does not depend on us.