Madrid, Spain 4 June 2003

Speech of Mr.Talantbek Kushchubekov, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic at the Meeting of the EAPC Esteemed Mr.Chairman, Excellencies, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, First of all I would like to express sincere gratitude to the Government of Spain and EAPC-NATO administration for warm hospitality and wonderful organization of today's Meeting. Undoubtedly, the current risks and challenges that threaten international security, domestic safety, and the confidence of national societies, have to be thoroughly analyzed and evaluated. Therefore, Kyrgyzstan has considered the last year NATO Summit in Prague as an important stage in the Organization history that is going to become an effective instrument (mechanism) for adequate responses to new challenges and threats of the 21st century. Within this context, I believe that the common nature of objectives of the national governments in combating new threats and challenges creates an unique opportunity to stir up our copperation in strengthening world security system. Mr. Chairman, Kyrgyzstan pays important attention to the ongoing cooperation with NATO within the frameworks of Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council and Partnership for Peace program, which we consider as a valuable component of the foreign policy of our country. Evaluating our Partnership since 1994, I would like to stress the PfP's practical contribution in assisting to the development of the Kyrgyz military forces. Political consultations, planning and reforms in the sphere of defense and armed forces, interoperability in joint operations, Civil Emergency Planning, scientific cooperation - are the areas, where our cooperation has been fruitfully developed so far. Today, using this favorable opportunity I would like to note critical (vital) importance of two basic documents: Joint Report on Comprehensive Review of the Euro Atlantic Partnership Council and PfP, and Partnership Action Plan against terrorism. I would like to assure the participants of today's meeting that Kyrgyzstan fully supports the tasks, targets and assessments reflected in these documents. We regard the Joint Report on Comprehensive Review of the EAPC and Partnership for Peace Program as a very informative and thorough, document, which contains serious analysis of the status and perspectives of cooperation within the framework of Partnership Program and provides main directions for further development of this cooperation. Particularly I would like to highlight innovative approaches, which ensure the expansion of political consultations on security issues and the elaboration of the concrete result-oriented mechanism of cooperation. In this connection, we believe that in order to deal properly with current threats and challenges it is necessary to focus not only on issues of political solution of the crisis and conducting military actions, but also on matters aimed to remove deep social and economic roots of these phenomena. There is a need for comprehensive approach containing political, economic and humanitarian aspects and strategic research by scientists that will cover the wide range of measures in these fields. Thus, our cooperation with NATO institutions and member states is extremely important. In this regard, we highly appreciate EAPC member states' decision envisaged in the Joint Report to support the regional cooperation with Central Asian states, including Kyrgyzstan. The facing the threats of international terrorism, religious extremism, political separatism, drugs, small arms smuggling, weapons of mass destruction urge partner states to take active measures in the framework of EAPC and PFP. Everybody understands very clearly that all these threats are no longer domestic problems. In this context we have to accept both external and internal sources of these phenomena, so that we have to enhance our interoperability in more deepened and widened sense. As a practical proposal, we see to be very effective to get such governmental bodies as a National Security (Secret Service), Ministry of Interior, Border Services and others involved in EAPC and PfP activities in more active and efficient way. Besides, Kyrgyzstan fully supports the idea of establishment of the EAPC Working Group on Central Asia with an aim of implementation of fruitful cooperation. In this context., we express our readiness to take practical steps today. Here I mean the deepening cooperation in improvement of border services interaction, trans-border water management, protection of civilians from natural disasters, rehabilitation of uranium wastes and others. We are extremely interested in joint development of Individual Partnership Programs with NATO experts, where concrete actions can be elaborated within the framework of cooperation "Partner-NATO" in compliance with national interests of individual Partners and common goals of the Partnership. On our opinion, it is time to apply more flexible approach for financing of cooperation with partner-countries taking into consideration their concrete priorities. In this regard, of great interest is a proposal envisaging the use of a PFP Trust fund model for Central Asian countries to strengthen a potential of the states of the region in terms of their participation in relevant EAPC activities. Kyrgyzstan is looking forward to work actively in this field. In conclusion, I would like to wish success to all of us and look forward for member-states' political will and persistence in the realization of goals and tasks that we set for our fruitful cooperation. Thank you.