August 22, 2007 at 5:27 pm · Filed under Blogosphere, Foreigner, Kyrgyzstan, Links, Russia, SCO
The Shanghai Summit went off without a bang or even a fizzling noise of the Central Asian republics frying under the massive heat of their fellow members from Russia and China. Putin is an honest man according to many here. When pressed, people don’t have a good reason for how honest he is other than the “lack of corruption in Russia.” I’ll leave that out with no comment, this ain’t no political blog!, writes James, the another Peace Corps volunteer in Kyrgyzstan.
August 20, 2007 at 2:32 pm · Filed under Central Asia, International relations, Kyrgyzstan, Me, Opinion, Politicians, Reports, SCO, Youth
Time for analyzing the results of the held Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s Summit in Bishkek has already come. Most of the people believe that the Summit was organized well and Kyrgyzstan has attained a lot of positive results. Other experts articulate the country, after the SCO summit, has got a negative image for the Western World.
Reading the Western Newspapers I have realized that people there think about the SCO as a strong alternative to the NATO. I also thought and still think so. And today I have been giving an interview for RFE/RL radio in Bishkek on this issue.
There were three persons came to the roundtable [interview with three people]: Adil Turdukulov, Young Politicians Forum’s member, someone from the pro-Government Party of Labor and Unity and the third one was me.
That guy from the party was telling that Kyrgyzstan attracted the attention of a lot of people abroad. And one of the main achievements from the Summit is the publicly announced, by PRC Chairman Hu Jintao, information about building a new road for Train which would unite Kyrgyzstan and China.
Adil’s ideas about the Summit were not clear for me. For instance he commented that It’s held very well and we need closely to colloborate with neighboring countries in the framework of SCO. “We have to refuse from Great Liberal Ideas and give a priority to short-term economic interests”, he added. In fact, that means, i think, the country could turn over the way of Democracy if either China or Russia would suggest any help.
I was telling that SCO reminds me the Warsaw Treaty Group wxisted during the time of Cold War opposed to NATO. So, it seems much more as a Military Block than a real economic cooperation union. Everything, in fact, including the Charter accepted in Bishkek was saying this organization is Anti-Nato, Anti-American.
Another thing I mentioned was about the Taiwan Issue, what about I was telling you last time. I had informed you that Kyrgyzstan has recognized Taiwan as inseparable part of China. It has happened after Uzbekistan has done the same supporting Beijing centred One-China Policy of the PRC. I think this is one of the signals Kyrgyzstan did to West, saying “we give more priority to China and Russia than you…”.
I also commented the argument of some guys about positive results of holding the Summit. I was opposing to this thesis as I see the country couldn’t even lobby it’s own ideas, as Hydro-Energy Cooperation. There is supported another idea of creating Energy Club under the SCO, which covers just oil and gas what Kyrgyzstan does not have. This means that Kyrgyzstan and tajikistan, both are rich of hyrdo-energy potential, are too week to lobby their own visions at the Great Shanghai Organization.