Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev has just completed a tour of European capitals and now plans a trip to Moscow, where he plans to sign the entry of his country into the Eurasian Economic Community, a space dominated by Russia.
- Andrei Beketov, Euronews: Mr. President, your visit to Brussels bienvenuel she is a farewell before your country join the Eurasian Economic Community and stops its rapprochement with the European Union?
- Mr President of Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Atambayev: On the contrary, as a member of the Eurasian Community, Kyrgyzstan will go towards engagement with the European Union. Europe should extend Brussels and Lisbon to Vladivostok and Bishkek.
- Euronews: Anyway Bishkek preferred partner in Moscow and Brussels ...
- Atambaev: We are ready to join the European Union but there two years ago, when I told you that we were ready to sign an agreement, the European Union was told that did not border with Kyrgyzstan.
- Euronews: This is the only obstacle?
- Atambaev: It seems so, but, you know, for us, the only road to Europe is Russia and Kazakhstan, and we need to take this journey together.
- Euronews: Some human rights regret that you follow the Russian example, legislating against "gay propaganda" and recording "foreign agents." Would you doing back democracy and freedom?
- Atambaev: You confuse Kyrgyzstan with other countries in the region, Parliament discuss all the bills and it seems to me that these questions show that many think as we did before. Our Parliament decide which laws to adopt and often, I have to put my veto.
- Euronews: There was also a bill removing the Russian language the official language status in Kyrgyzstan, is there not a risk that the same thing happening in Ukraine?
- Atambaev: Similar legislation has already been passed and I have opposite my veto, and he could not do anything to it. When the revolution took place in Ukraine, we are probably the only country in Central Asia to have congratulated Ukraine on this revolution was in February last year, we had also stressed the need to beware of inter ethnic problems, because we remember that in 2010, after our own revolution, some forces had organized inter ethnic clashes in southern Kyrgyzstan, as now in the south of Ukraine, and we put warning Ukrainians.
- Euronews: What is the position of Kyrgyzstan on the actions of Russia in Ukraine and the annexation of the Crimea?
- Atambayev: We have always supported the territorial integrity of the country, but in the case of the Crimea is the result of a referendum. I'm sure we could make dozens more referendums and each time 90% of voters would vote for the annexation of the Crimea to Russia. Regarding the conflict, we believe it must be stopped, a compromise solution must be found, and that Minsk agreements should be applied to the letter.
- Euronews: Because of this situation, Russia is increasingly isolated, she will not result in Kyrgyzstan in this isolation?
- Atambayev: Sanctions against Russia hit the entire region, including Kyrgyzstan economy. I think the future is not going to escalate the conflict between Europe and Russia. The future must move towards a resolution of the conflict. Europe must be united.
- Euronews: You are the first president to have met Vladimir Putin on 16 March after his mysterious disappearance. What is your feeling, he was planning to go to a showdown with the West, with the European Union on this issue?
- Atambayev: Putin is still the one who reunited Russia and, of course, he did not need this confrontation, but he also wants to protect the interests of Russia, Russian-speaking people in the southeast of the Ukraine and, it seems, also throughout Ukraine.
- Euronews: One of the main threats to the European Union has called the Islamic State. Can your country cooperate with the European Union on this issue?
- Atambayev: Spending billions of dollars into wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, is useless ... You can not stop them by force. We can stop them with an example, if only with a democratic, secular Muslim country. I'm tired of repeating that it would be much cheaper to help Kyrgyzstan build a secular and democratic state in this Muslim country. But, you know, we hardly get any help from democratic countries.
- Euronews: Can you even name any examples of your cooperation with the European Union?
- Atambayev: It is primarily the example that constitute the European Union and European democracies. You know, they say that it is better to teach someone to fish than give him a fish ... Following the European example, we fight against corruption, we have free and democratic elections and we get rid of those were above the law ... That's what we are doing by following their example.
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