Kyrgyz president urges US against interfering in internal affairs

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) — Kyrgyzstan's president called on Washington early Monday to avoid interfering in its internal affairs following US concerns over draft legislation on foreign agents.

In a letter released on Facebook, Sadyr Japarov said an earlier message by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the draft bill showed "signs of interference in the internal affairs" of Kyrgyzstan.

The call came in response to a letter by Blinken over the White House's concerns related to the draft bill.

Noting that the Kyrgyz parliament adopted the draft bill in the first reading, Japarov said its purpose was to "clarify and streamline the activities of non-governmental/non-profit organizations operating in the Kyrgyz Republic."

In his letter, published by press secretary Askat Alagozov, Japarov added that some non-governmental or non-profit groups in the Central Asian nation receive funding from abroad, causing problems "directly related to the protection of the legitimate interests of the Kyrgyz state."

The Kyrgyz president also said the concept of the draft law is close to the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) adopted in the US in 1938, adding that organizations must provide the purpose and source of their foreign funding.

"Our requirements for them are clear and supported in society, fully consistent with both the Constitution of the Kyrgyz Republic and our international obligations," he said.

Japarov further expressed that the draft bill caused a "storm of indignation" on the part of several EU and US-financed mass media and non-governmental organizations "as they fear to step out of the 'shadow' and real tax control by the state."

"The same non-governmental structures often disseminate false and unreliable information among people, leading to lawsuits by the victims or the defamed," he said.

"We stand for equal cooperation and are ready to work with all countries and international partners, including the United States. My only request — not to interfere in the internal affairs of our country," he concluded.

On Friday, the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry announced that Japarov’s letter to Blinken was given to the US ambassador in Bishkek during a meeting with Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubaev.​​​​​​​