Kyrgyzstan: Washington Reaches Out to Bishkek

Following a prolonged silence amid the collapse of Kurmanbek Bakiyev's administration in Bishkek, US officials are now playing diplomatic catch-up in Kyrgyzstan.

Reticence marked the immediate US diplomatic response to the April 6-7 upheaval in Kyrgyzstan. Underscoring this cautious approach, Washington has yet to formally recognize the new provisional government, which assumed authority in Bishkek after Bakiyev fled to his native region in southern Kyrgyzstan. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

Russia, in sharp contrast, quickly acknowledged the provisional government and reached out to its head, Roza Otunbayeva.

Soon after the outbreak of violence in Bishkek, the US Embassy closed for regular business, according to an email alert sent to American citizens in the Central Asian nation. Four days passed before a senior American official, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, reached out to the new government, holding a phone conversation with Otunbayeva on April 10.

US Ambassador Tatiana Gfoeller, who was on a scheduled visit in the United States when the Bishkek upheaval began, returned to the Kyrgyz capital only on April 11. In a statement, she said; "We are working with the provisional government and I plan to meet with its members in the near future." A State Department statement indicated that Assistant Secretary of State Robert O. Blake would soon be visiting Kyrgyzstan.

By all appearances, the United States faces a serious public diplomacy challenge in Kyrgyzstan. Washington's sluggish initial response has enabled Russia to take the early lead in what is shaping up as a race to cultivate the goodwill of the Kyrgyz provisional government. That race, in turn, may well exert influence on whether the United States retains access to the transit center at Manas Airport outside of Bishkek, an important logistics hub for the US and NATO war effort in Afghanistan. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

Publicly, Russian leaders in recent days have struck a tolerant tone when discussing Moscow's stance on the Manas base. But prior to the April 6-7 upheaval, Russia's paramount leader, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, was widely believed to be determined to push US forces out of Kyrgyzstan, and he was reportedly furious with Bakiyev for reneging on a commitment to close the Manas base. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

Clinton, in her April 10 phone discussion with Otunbayeva, received a vague commitment from the provisional government leader that existing Manas basing agreements would be honored.

The US government may soon be facing some tough questions from Kyrgyzstan's new leaders, who say they are intent on reviewing the Defense Department's contracts concerning Manas due to suspicion about corrupt practices on the part of the Bakiyev administration.

In Kyrgyzstan, public opinion is widespread that US diplomacy is preoccupied with the Manas facility's future, and is not paying sufficient attention to the country's economic and democratization challenges.

A US Embassy statement on April 10 attempted to reassure the Kyrgyz public that Washington would promote promoting personal freedom and economic prosperity. "We remain a committed partner to the development of Kyrgyzstan for the benefit of the Kyrgyz people and intend to continue to support the economic and democratic development of the country," the statement said.

Several actions by the United States, though, continue to undermine this message. The reluctance to recognize the provisional government is one; another factor is a perception that the US Embassy is not operating a full capacity.

In a move driven by security concerns, many embassy staff and families are now located at Manas airport, 30 minutes by car from Bishkek. No other western diplomats have moved or have been evacuated from the capital.

"The embassy is operating 24/7 and has been operating 24/7 since Tuesday," said an embassy spokesperson on April 11. But "more than 50 percent of the embassy staff is at Manas."