Transcripts
Press Conference with Ambassador Ordway
U.S. Embassy Branch Office
Astana, Kazakhstan
March 7, 2006
Radio Svoboda: We know that the U.S. Congress has passed a bill for $188 million intended for assistance to countries in Central Asia. How will this change U.S. policy in the region? And a second question - what is the FBI role in the investigation of the murder of Sarsenbaiuly?
Amb. Ordway: The answer to the first question is, this legislation has not yet been approved by Congress. It was approved by one committee in one house of Congress. The way the American political system works, there could be substantial changes in the draft before it becomes law. It’s also very possible it might not be approved by the full House or by the Senate. The amount of money listed in there is still subject to actually being part of the annual appropriation process.
With regard to our overall policy toward the region, I think it is fair to say that we in the United States in the executive branch have a great deal of interest in Central Asia right now. We have, ever since the emergence of independent states in Central Asia, been engaged in wide reaching and very broad programs of assistance. And in fact, in the course of that 15-year period, we have spent approximately $500 million in assistance in Kazakhstan alone. And that only reflects the assistance that comes through USAID and does not include our very substantial assistance in non-proliferation, assistance in military and other areas.
Our general assistance in Kazakhstan and throughout Central Asia is concentrated in three principal areas. The first is economic reform, including the economic conditions and well being of the people of the countries of Central Asia. The second area is to assist in the social transition as a result of the collapse of the USSR, particularly in areas such as health care and social services. And the third area is that of support for democratic reforms, civil society, and governance. In addition to those three areas, we have a number of programs to assist with non-proliferation, security, military equipment and training, as well as law enforcement.
Regardless of whether this particular piece of legislation is or is not passed by Congress, I think it is very fair to say that we have a strong interest in the region, and we will continue to have a strong interest in the region, and we will continue to provide significant amounts of assistance so that we can work together with the countries of the region to accomplish these mutual goals.
Your second question was about the role of the FBI in the investigation of the murder of Mr. Sarsenbaiuly and his associates. The FBI is closely cooperating with the Ministry of Internal Affairs in this investigation. We have had, I would say, almost daily contact between the ministry and the FBI here in Kazakhstan. At every point in the investigation, the ministry has been completely open and accessible to our FBI colleagues. They have agreed to every request that the FBI has made for information and cooperation. We anticipate that in the very near future, within the next few days, we will have official FBI employees and expertise that will be brought to Kazakhstan.
The conclusion of the FBI so far is that the investigation has been played out in a very professional manner, and that the investigation has been very thorough, and they have done the kinds of things that any investigative agency would do when faced with challenges of this nature.
Interfax news agency: Does this mean that you agree with the official position with respect to the murder?
Amb. Ordway: We do not have any reason at this point to doubt the facts that have been presented as to the involvement of the 10 people who are now in custody. I think it is not at all a secret that there are many questions and much speculation, particularly about the motivation that has been announced in connection with the confession of Mr. Utembayev. And it is particularly this aspect of the investigation that the FBI personnel that are coming to Kazakhstan will be focusing their efforts on, together with the ministry.
David Holley with the Los Angeles Times: I’m interested in your reaction to the allegations in some opposition newspapers and some Internet sites that Rakhat Aliyev is somehow connected to Mr. Sarsenbaiuly’s death and Mr. Aliyev’s threat to file libel suits against people who spread lies against him or publications that spread lies against him, and do you think that some political force may be trying to use this in order to damage the entire Nazarbayev family?
Amb. Ordway: On the first question, there is absolutely no evidence I’m aware of, other than speculation, that points to any specific individual or group other than those 10 individuals and the groups that are associated with them.
With regard to the libel suits, I believe that the issue really here is more of civil rather than criminal libel. We have a very strong interest in ensuring the freedom of the press and freedom of expression, particularly in this region, and we have undertaken a lot of efforts to try to improve the respect for freedom of press and freedom of speech. We believe that it is very important for the development of democratic societies that people and the press feel free to express themselves on issues of public concern, of which this case obviously is such an issue.
On the other hand, many countries around the world have very different laws with respect to libel and slander, and there are many very respected democratic countries, such as the UK, that have fairly strict libel and slander laws. Our hope is that you can combine this element of respect for freedom of speech and freedom of the press together with responsibility in making charges that have some basis to them.
On the third point, I think that’s a very speculative question, and I don’t have any particular light I can shed on that one way or the other.
Channel 31: Have there been any changes in the perception or image of Kazakhstan by the United States with respect to safety?
Amb. Ordway: That’s a very good question, I think, but let me answer not in the immediate, narrow context of this particular murder at this particular time. We, as a country, have a responsibility to our citizens around the world to tell them when they travel where they would face particularly great risks or dangers or things that are out of the ordinary that they need to be on guard for. If you go to the State Department website, you can find for many different countries in the world travel warnings about exact problems in specific countries. And there is absolutely no politics in this process. If you go and look at countries that are friendly or unfriendly, if they present an accurate picture of where there are particular problems or particular risks that American citizens might encounter.
We have not made, nor do we see at this point any reason to make, any warnings about travel to Kazakhstan for American citizens. At the same time, I could certainly understand when, in any country, there is a very high profile, very unexpected crime against someone who is a prominent member of society, that that can lead to a very real feeling of dissatisfaction and suspicion that this could be widespread. But I don’t think that of all the consequences, and there are some very tragic consequences in this case for the family and friends of Mr. Sarsenbaiuly, for the political system and situation in Kazakhstan, I would not think that security and safety for ordinary people would be one of those concerns I would mention.
Let me address one other sort of hint in your question, and that is the fact that the people who committed the crime or were involved in the crime, many of them came from law enforcement structures. This is, of course, doubly regrettable because in Kazakhstan, as in all countries, we rely on law enforcement to carry out the laws, not to break them and commit crimes. But when this happens, I think the most important element is what is the reaction to those situations. And so far in the case of Kazakhstan, there has been a very quick and aggressive reaction by law enforcement, even when it involved some of their own members. Of course this whole process is not over; there are still aspects of the investigation that need to be carried out, and then there is another entire phase of the process, which would involve trials and courts, so we can’t reach a complete and final conclusion until all of that has happened.
Express K: Do U.S. authorities plan to shut down Guantanamo, and what is the future of the four Kazakhstanis who are located there, and a second question about adoptions. We know that several thousand children adopted from Kazakhstan live in the United States. Do U.S. authorities keep track of them?
Amb. Ordway: On the first question, as far as I’m aware, there are no current plans to shut down the detention facility in Guantanamo. We certainly have not made any announcements to that effect. With regard to the four Kazakhstani citizens who are there, we have and are continuing to engage in discussions with the authorities here in Kazakhstan on that, and at this point, I’m not at liberty to provide any details about that discussion.
On adopted children, let me say a word generally about adoption, and then let me talk a little bit more about the specific question you asked. I believe very strongly that every child should have an opportunity to grow up in a family rather than in an institution. In Kazakhstan, there are many children who are in orphanages. The best solution for those children is to be adopted by Kazakhstani parents. At the moment, there are far more children here available for adoption than there are families in Kazakhstan wanting to adopt them. In the United States, the situation is exactly opposite: we have far more parents who want to be parents who can’t find children to adopt in the United States. From their point, there is a natural connection here between those parents who look for children to adopt and children here who need to be adopted and grow up in families. International adoptions require a great deal of care on the part of both countries that are involved in them. On our part, we have very strict requirements that must be met by each parent before we will issue a visa to their adopted child to enter into the United States. They have to get approval for the whole process, go through a home study, and have various medical and other checks done to verify that they are indeed fully capable of adopting a child. There has to be an inspection of the home they provide to that child; in other words, somebody from the government goes and looks at their home and does a study of their household to make sure that the conditions are okay for a child. They also have to demonstrate that they have legally adopted that child in the country where they are applying for the visa, that is, they have to have followed all the procedures that Kazakhstan requires before we will issue a visa to that child to go to the U.S.
When the children arrive in the United States, they are treated no different than any other child who lives in the United States and are subject to all of the protections of the criminal justice system, and the social welfare system. All the kinds of things that any other American-born child would have the benefit of, any Kazakhstani child would in the United States also benefit from our social system and care for children.
There is one issue that is a requirement of Kazakhstani law, which is that parents are supposed to report annually on the condition of that child until he or she becomes 18. This can be difficult for some parents - they’re a long way from Kazakhstan; they’re not sure how to do it; it gets very confusing at times. We have done everything we can to encourage parents who adopt children here to carry out those requirements, because we know they are important to Kazakhstan and to the people of Kazakhstan in order to provide a sense of assurance that their children are well taken care of in the United States. We are working and willing to continue to work with the Kazakhstani embassy in Washington and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education in order to simplify these processes and provide for greater compliance. I’ve probably spoken more about this than you probably want to hear, but it is a very, very important subject, and I want to be clear that we do everything possible to ensure that the welfare of these children is at the uppermost of everyone’s mind.
Kazakhstan National television channel: Do they celebrate International Women’s Day in the United States, and if yes, how?
Amb. Ordway: he answer, I’m afraid, is somewhat embarrassing. I think that my fellow Americans here can testify that this is the international holiday least known in the United States of America. But we do have some other holidays that have some similar characteristics to this. Not completely, but a little bit. One is Valentine’s Day, which is becoming more well known in this part of the world, but it’s sort of an equal opportunity holiday, because it allows men to celebrate women and vice versa. We also have Mother’s Day, which is a very important holiday and very near and dear to the hearts of most Americans, which takes place in May. But again, it only concerns mothers, not all women, so there is, again, that little bit of difference. But everyone has a mother, so it allows everyone to celebrate in some fashion.
But let me, being here in Kazakhstan, first of all congratulate all the women on the eighth of March tomorrow, International Women’s Day, and allow me to wish everyone health and satisfaction and prosperity and long life. And you will notice that the Americans have somehow adapted to this because there are lots of flowers around our offices today.
Liter: Lately, some foreign media are circulating rumors on the diminishing chances of Kazakhstan presiding over the OSCE. What is your opinion in this regard?
Amb. Ordway: I don’t think our view on this issue has really changed quite much in the last few months. Our view is that any country that aspires to the chairmanship of the OSCE has to embody the fundamental values and characteristics of that organization. And we think that there are a number of things that Kazakhstan can and should do in order to demonstrate that commitment in practice. But we have not reached a decision on the matter; we have not taken any final decision, and the organization itself will not take a decision until December of this year.
TV Astana: What is the U.S. position with respect to gas supplies? The issue of gas, Iraq, Ukraine . . .
Interpreter: Is this two questions or one? [Laughter] Could you clarify . . .
Amb. Ordway: Yeah . . . you have to explain; I’m not sure I . . .
Interpreter: Yes, yes, could you please clarify the question?
TV Astana: About the gas supplies.
Interpreter: Gas from where? [Laughter]
Amb. Ordway: If you leave Iraq out of the question, I can answer about gas. [Laughter] The issue of energy security is very important for the world at a time when there is growing demand for energy sources - oil and gas - around the world. Kazakhstan is in a favorable position in once sense at least, in that it does have very significant energy resources, particularly oil, but also gas. A big problem for Kazakhstan is how you get it to the market. We are in favor of having market-oriented export routes that are multiple, that are reliable, and that can produce world market prices for Kazakhstan. There are a number of different possibilities - those for oil and for gas - and Kazakhstan is pursuing a number of those; we have great interest in seeing that they continue to pursue them and can actually implement them, so that all of the resources that are extracted can produce the highest possible return for the country.
Amb. Ordway: Somebody else had a question. Okay. Last one.
Radio Azattyk (Radio Liberty): In the sphere of democracy, does the United States intend to finance the creation and development of NGOs free from government control? Do you plan to establish any independent printing houses in Kazakhstan?
Amb. Ordway: We don’t have any current plans to do anything with a printing press here. We don’t have any plans to do anything with printing presses. In general, we have had for some time, and we will continue to have, programs that generally support the development of civil society, including the media and NGOs.
Zhas Alash: Will Kazakhstan’s political stability remain unchanged after Sarsenbaiuly’s murder?
Amb. Ordway: I don’t honestly think that there is any fundamental issue of threatening political stability in Kazakhstan. But I think there are a number of very important political issues and aspects that have come out that are obviously quite concerning to people and to political movements. It is going to require some time in order to get through all of those issues. That will also require a very thorough, careful, and professional investigation of the crime that will establish to the satisfaction of a court and to the general public exactly how it happened and why it happened. And that’s one of the reasons why we are very happy to have the FBI participate in the investigation because we think it will assist both technically as well as underscoring the professionalism of the investigation.
Interpreter: I think that’s all, or do you have time for one more?
Vechernaya Astana: You have spent a year and half in Kazakhstan. How do you spend your free time? Do you have favorite places for leisure in Astana, in Kazakhstan?
Amb. Ordway: That’s a really good question; I’m glad you asked it. Right now I live in Almaty, and there are some pretty nice places to relax in Almaty. I’ve been to Chimbulak five times so far this year, which isn’t very much, but it’s at least something. Last summer I hiked by foot for five days over the Kolsaiy Lakes to Issyk Kul, and I’m going to do it again this summer - a different route. I’ve been twice to Borovoye, which is a place I really love and enjoy and look forward to going back to; I’ve been there in the fall and in the winter. Last winter I brought my cross country skis up to Astana only in time to have the snow melt. I was going to go skiing tomorrow, but I’m not sure after yesterday’s rain how good it’s going to be, but I think I’ll go ahead and try it out in any case. But I’m sure next year I’ll have many more opportunities to go cross country skiing in Astana than I will have downhill skiing in Chimbulak since we will move to Astana in September.
Interpreter: Thank you very much.