Europe Day
For those people, like me, who get confused about Kyrgyz holidays, (an eclectic mix of Soviet, Christian, Muslim, Zoroastrian, and dates commemorating historical events), then we should be thankful that Europe Day is not a Kyrgyz public holiday. You see, even in Europe they are not sure when Europe Day falls. According to the Council of Europe, it is today (May 5th), commemorating when the Council was established in 1949, but as far as the European Union is concerned, Europe Day falls on May 9th commemorating the suggestion of establishing a European Economic Community by the French Foreign Minister, Robert Schuman, on that day in 1950; (although, at that time, he was only thinking in terms of uniting the French and German coal and steel industries).
Hey!, it just so happens that both of those ARE public holidays here in Kyrgyzstan.
Today is Dehn Coinstitutzy, (Constitution Day), whilst next Wednesday is Dehn Pobeda, (Victory Day).
Dehn Pobeda, (commemorating the end of the Second World War – or the Great Patriotic War, as it is known here), may not be until Wednesday of next week, but there are so many events to mark the anniversary that the diary gets a bit busy around the big day itself. As a result, the Gala Concert for the Krasnaya Gvozdika Festival, (Red Carnation Festival), was actually held yesterday afternoon in the Concert Hall of the newly renovated National Conservatory.
The Red Carnation is a symbol here for those who fell during the war and so it was a natural choice for the emblem of a choir set up for veterans, whether they served on the front line or were “veterans of labour” and served on the home front. For the last 14 years the choir has organized a festival competition for other choirs and ensembles with veterans amongst their members. I get invited every year because we are one of their sponsors, along with the municipal authorities and the Russian Embassy, and I have now got to the stage where I can recognize quite a few of the participants from previous years.
Of course, as the years go by you would expect the number of veterans to decline, but the number of participants in the competition has increased from the original 80 to over 330 this year. I am told that this is because the competitors now come from all over the region around Bishkek and not just from the city itself, but I am not sure if some younger people are also managing to sneak in somewhere. Certainly, although some of the participants are showing distinct signs of old age catching up with them, quite a few of them are still remarkably sprightly.
As I left the concert with the strains of Dehn Povedy ringing in my ears, (that’s the local equivalent to “There are Bluebirds over the White Cliffs of Dover …” to us), and found a taxi to take me back to the office. Now, there’s something about taxi drivers, all over the world – they tend to be extremely garrulous, and this one was no different and it wasn’t long before I was undergoing the usual 3rd-degree about what I was doing here, where was my family and so on. On the other hand, there was a difference, because he told me a fair bit about himself as well.
Over the years I have become used to overqualified taxi drivers: graduates, postgraduates, engineers and even doctors who take to the streets either to supplement their salaries or because it pays better than the salary they can command. Well, this guy turned out to have a degree in International Diplomacy, and could speak both Turkish and Arabic as well as Russian and Kyrgyz. He, (sort of), apologized for not knowing English. I made a comment that I thought there must have been an opening for him in the diplomatic service – after all, the government are looking to improve relatioonships with the Arab world and I didn’t think there would be that many Kyrgyz Arabic speakers. He smiled and said, “practically none.”
Another interesting thing about him was that he was the only person that I can think of that has ever congratulated me on today’s public holiday – not Victory Day, as I said, that’s next week, but Constitution Day. What was particularly surprising was that it wasn’t just a general greeting of the “Happy Holidays” type; he actually named the holiday and started to tell me about it … but as we drew up to the office, I was able to escape without the lecture.
Dehn Constitutzy – Constitution Day – is definitely the “poor relation” among Kyrgyzstan kaleidoscope of holidays. Most people seem to know it is a holiday, but very few seem to honour it with much more than just taking a day off work.
I suppose it is a bit like Europe Day would be, if it was a holiday in Britain.
If Europe Day was all about countries uniting to create a larger unit and thus gain the benefits of the “economies of scale” or “collective security”, then it is a little ironic that Kyrgyzstan’s Constitution Day came about by the breakup of a large political and economic unit; the Soviet Union.
As it happens, although proud of its independence, Kyrgyzstan hasn’t retired into itself but is still a anxious to play a role on the international stage.
Last year, for example, Kyrgyzstan made a bid for a seat on the Security Council of the United Nations. Although it failed in that bid, it is now seeking a place on the UN’s Social and Economic Committee. It also looks as we are going to contribute some peacekeepers to the mission in Syria; only eight but it is still an important contribution. (Apparently we have some twenty five peacekeepers who have seen service in Haiti and Sudan). Actually, there are several reasons why countries contribute to these forces; it is not just altruism. Some countries actually use the opportunity to gain training for their forces, and some actually earn valuable foreign currency from their contribution. Also, the allocation of personnel from some countries to such missions is done to offset the financial contribution; each member country has to make a contribution to the peacemaking operations of the UN and something like USD123,000 is currently due from Kyrgyzstan.
As it happens, Kyrgyzstan owes considerable sums to international bodies, not just the United Nations, in the form of membership fees. It seems that the bills are now coming in … and although we seem to be able to meet the country’s contribution to the peacekeeping operations, it is not clear how we are going to meet all the others.
Of course, there are parallels of the creation and continuous enlargement or the European community with that currently underway of the Customs Union and the Eurasian community, but this week there has been very little news on that front apart from the fact that China has said that it will monitor the situation closely.
What has hit the newstands has been three interesting stories representing our relationships with, what in previous times might have been called the “superpowers”: the United States, Russia and China.
Now, President Almazbek Atambaev has long been saying to anyone who will listen, (since well before his election last year), that the transit base at Manas airport, (which plays a vital role in the operations in Afghanistan), would have to close in June 2014 when the current lease ends and the American deployment in Afghanistan not only draws down, but ends. He cites a number of issues including the sovereignty of Kyrgyzstan and the risk it poses to Kyrgyzstan from anti American action by terrorists, or even Iran should those two countries find themselves engaged in actual combat. He has repeatedly said that foreign military staff should be removed from the transit base which should be transformed into a civilian facility and also that the question of the presence of foreign bases in Kyrgyzstan, (presumably including the Russian base at Kant), would have to be submitted to the Kyrgyzstan’s partners in the regional security and cooperation agreements to which we are a party. Although the Americans continue in discussions with the Kyrgyz counterparts and express confidence, they are also exploring possible alternative arrangements, including using facilities in Russia. There has been considerable comment and speculation as to what happens if the American deployment does not cease according to plan and is extended in some way, or if Kyrgyzstan is simply trying to manouever in order to extract more cash in terms of rent and other payments.
Well, this week saw a short item on an American news service reporting how he has apparently commented that keeping the base in Kyrgyzstan after the lease expires will depend on “the interests of Kyrgyzstan and its strategic partners”, (nothing new there), and “the course of events in Afghanistan”, (which is not exactly new but when combined with the next phrase it was taken by the reporter to suggest that there may a potential shift in his position). That final phrase: “and whether Washington is prepared to pay higher rent”(!).
It has to be said, however, that reports in the local press put is somewhat differently. For example, according to one report he said: “The U.S. thought earlier that if they increase the rent fee, Kyrgyzstan would calm down, but this is a complex issue. It should be considered from all sides. Firstly, interests of Kyrgyzstan, secondly, how the situation in Afghanistan would evolve and how this would impact Kyrgyzstan, thirdly, views of our strategic partners should be taken into account. In view of all these and interests of Kyrgyzstan, the decision about the future of the base should be reached”.
Hmmmm – which account, I wonder, represents the more balanced reporting?
Relationships with Russia have also been subject to some attention during the week, partly due to the arrival of the recently appointed new ambassador. One welcome move was the news that Kyrgyzstan and Russia seem to have come to some sort of arrangement to facilitate the export of Kyrgyz textiles. The textiles industry is very important to us, but is still very much an example of “a cottage industry”. Russia has also been sending equipment to the border service, which is presumably a sign of their continued concern at the porous borders on the edges of the former Soviet Union. Russia has also expressed considerable interest in developing mineral resources within the country. (That’s in contrast to some other international players who have apparently decided to withdraw from the country!)
Although everything looks fine at the moment, there is still the prospect of stormy waters ahead, in particular over the future of the Dastan torpedo plant. Kyrgyzstan has apparently stood firm on its position that the earlier agreements from 2009 should stand … but has yet to receive a reply from Russia who had insisted on new terms to take into account the changed circumstances since then.
If relations with Russia do sometimes seem to have resembled a ride on a roller coaster, there was an interesting item on one western website which looked at how history textbooks used in schools and higher education reflect the subject. It seems to me that there are two extremes represented in attitudes towards Russia amongst the Kyrgyz: nothing good has come out of Russia, they colonized the country and subjugated the people, and the less we have to do with them the better … and, what could be summed up as, “What a great country the USSR was!”. These, as I said, are extremes and there is some justice behind both. Reading the article I was reminded of what Churchill is supposed to have said: Anyone who isn’t a liberal when he is young has no heart, and anyone who isn’t a conservative when he is older has no brain. Almazbek Atambaev has a similar saying: ” Anyone who wants to return to the Soviet Union is crazy … and anyone who doesn’t has no heart.”
China has also attracted a certain amount of attention during the week. Apart from the [potentially ominous story that they would be closely monitoring the progress of Kyrgyzstan’s accession to the Customs Union, there were other reports about the potential to export electricity to China. The big story, however, has been the progress in discussions over the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway. According to Roza Otunbaeva, it is so big a story that some disputes are inevitable. According to the Chinese, only two issues remain outstanding. The first is technical relating to specifications, and they are confident that these will be easily resolved. The second, however, concerns the form in which the investment will take place. The Kyrgyz side have said over and over again that they will not swap land or concessions in return for the investments. The Chinese have said that they don’t care who builds the railway – so long as it is built and they seem ready to fund the project, perhaps by means of loans, but the need guarantees.
There has also been a considerable number of stories in the local press about relationships with Turkey, Malaysia, Azerbaijan, South Korea, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Iran and Hungary; some of them connected with official visits of delegations to Kyrgyzstan.
Working in tourism, of course, I have a special if somewhat specific interest in the development of “international relations”. The fact that one of those substantial debts to international organizations which Kyrgyzstan has, is to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, is not a good a sign. More positive, however, is the fact that we now actually have a Department for Tourism. We are only five months into the year and although the structure of the government which was established at the end of last year included a Ministry for Culture and Tourism, the regulations establishing the new department was only signed by the Prime Minister at the end of this week. Oh … the pleasures of Bureaucracy. In fact, although, technically, there was no department until this weekend, there have been people working … and we can now hope that, at least, they will be able to make some progress on the various tasks that they have been given.
________________________________________
Postcard from Bishkek: the weekly postcard that I send out as an email also gets posted on the website ianbek.kg each week – and there are other postcards which don’t get sent out. This week, for example, there were postcards about:
- Welcome Speech - What I had planned to say in my welcoming speech to the Discovery Travel Forum … it was only an outline and I was expecting to adapt it to cater for different situations but little did I realize how much I would have to change it;
- BLT … and all that - to commemorate the birthday of the Earl of Sandwich, a look at the dish that took his name;
- Central Square - On May Day I took a look at the scene of many May Day Parades during the Soviet period;
- Niche Marketing - Some thought on one of the presentations at the Travel Forum earlier in the week;
- Hsuan Tsang - one of the first travelers along the Great Silk Road back in the eighth century;
- May the fourth be with you! - On Luke Skywalker Day I take a brief look at the the impact of the 1977 film Star Wars.
It is now possible to follow me on Facebook, (where I have specific pages for Celestial Mountains and ianbek … and also links.kg and Kyrgyz Diary), and on twitter, (@Bishkekpostcard and @celestialMTC ).
If you decide that you don’t want to receive these weekly postcards in your email anymore, please drop me a line to and I will take you off the distribution list. Alternatively, if you know someone who might be interested in being added to the mailing list, then get them to drop me a line and I’ll be happy to do so.
Bishkek