The original building, (next to the KGB building), was only meant to be temporary accommodation whilst they constructed a purpose built compound. Now it seems that the current one storey building is too small for the 320 staff – yes, 320!

So, apparently the Americans have allocated USD145 million for the construction of a new one. There was a ground breaking ceremony yesterday and the structure is supposed to be completed in 2014 … just as the Americans will be pulling out of Afghanistan … and the Manas Transit Center is due to close.

“A GUIDE TO THE UNITED STATES’ HISTORY OF RECOGNITION, DIPLOMATIC, AND CONSULAR RELATIONS, BY COUNTRY, SINCE 1776: KYRGYZSTAN

Summary

The United States recognized Kyrgyzstan’s independence on December 25, 1991, when President George H.W. Bush announced the decision in an address to the nation regarding the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Recognition

U.S. Recognition of Kyrgyzstan, 1991.
The United States recognized Kyrgyzstan’s independence on December 25, 1991, when President George H.W. Bush announced the decision in an address to the nation regarding the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Kyrgyzstan previously had been a constituent republic of the USSR.

Diplomatic Relations

Establishment of Diplomatic Relations, 1991.
Diplomatic relations were established on December 25, 1991, when President George H.W. Bush announced the decision in an address to the nation regarding the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Establishment of the American Embassy in Bishkek, 2004.
The American Embassy in Bishkek was established on February 1, 1992, with Edmund McWilliams as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim.

The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs says, “Turkey was the first country to recognize the independence of Kyrgyzstan on 16 December 1991 and diplomatic relations were established on 29 January 1992. The Turkish Embassy in Bishkek and the Kyrgyz Embassy in Ankara were opened in 1992.”, (http://www.mfa.gov.tr/relations-between-turkey-and-kyrgyzstan.en.mfa_), but it doesn’t give an actual date for the opening of the embassy …

I think it calls for a bit more research!

It says: I am not sure which country was the first to establish diplomatic relations with the newly independent state of the Kyrgyz Republic after it declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, but the first foreign government to establish an embassy here in Bishkek was the United States. That was on 2nd February, 1992.

Just to clarify, please look at the plates of the diplomatic vehicles parked near emabassies of various countries in Bishkek. The first two digits indicate the order of establishing the embassies in the country. So, US Diplomatic vehicles always have plates starting with 02, which means they were the second embassy established in Bishkek, while Turkey has 01. China has 03, Russia – 04 and so on…
So, Turkish embassy was the first in Kyrgyzstan