Embassy News
Interview of Richard A. Boucher, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia with Nadia Badykova of Voice of America
Washington, DC
February 23, 2007
QUESTION: President of Turkmenistan, Burdimuhammedov, after his inauguration once again highlighted that Turkmenistan will continue Niyazov’s policy, but at the same time he announced some economic and even political reforms. And his first steps would appear to show that there is new geopolitical reality in Central Asia and Turkmenistan is not an isolated the country anymore.
In this respect, how would you characterize the state of your response in Turkmenistan?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY BOUCHER: I guess I’d say it’s a hopeful moment, that we think there are definite possibilities. We have made clear from the beginning that we were ready for changes if the government in Turkmenistan wanted to make changes. So part of the message that I brought out there when I went for the inauguration was to say here are some things we can do, there are a lot of areas we can work in. if you want to work with us. What I heard was yes, they want to work with us.
And indeed, we’ve started to see some of these changes. We’ve started to see the extension of education, the opening of internet cafés. So we’re hopeful. We’re hopeful that will be continued to its logical development.
QUESTION: President Burdimuhammedov said that democracy could not be introduced to Turkmenistan overnight. He said as for democracy these tender substances cannot be imposed by applying ready-imported models. Your comments about that?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY BOUCHER: I think that’s been our approach all over the world, frankly. We’ve never thought that democracy can be imposed from outside, it can be constructed overnight.
It’s building a series of institutions and opportunities, and developing a sense of democratic stability. We’ve encouraged Turkmenistan to work with the OSCE, to work with us, to work with others to develop the foundations. Things like information, technology, education, rule of law, and then to start to develop the institutions of democracy -- elections commissions, the election processes, the independent judiciary, and we’re willing to do that. We’re willing to work with them over time in a systematic fashion.
QUESTION: What is your reaction to Mr. Putin’s recent critical comments on the U.S. policy? And how do you view the current state of U.S.-Russian relations with respect to Central Asia?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY BOUCHER: As far as President Putin’s comments, I think I’d really leave it at what Secretary Gates said at the time. We’re not looking to get into a shouting match or a fight over policy issues with Russia.
The facts of what people do are much more important to us. I had a very good discussion this week with a Deputy Foreign Minister from Russia about how we could cooperate in Central Asia, about things that we would do to promote education, to promote rule of law, to promote uh the struggle -- efforts against narcotics, better border security, the host of issues where we have common interests and where we’re trying to work together with Russia in Central Asia.
I don’t know that that’s always what happens on the ground. There’s a bit of pushing and shoving. But at the same time we’re not there to play games. We’re there to cooperate for the benefit of the people of the region. It’s about their independence. It’s about respect for their rights. It’s about respect for their traditions and their nationhood. That’s what motivates us. So where we can work with others in helping build that, then we will.
QUESTION: Mr. Boucher, about eight months have passed since you are visit to Uzbekistan. At that time experts predicted that it was a sign warning for relations between Uzbekistan and the United States. Is there any progress?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY BOUCHER: I think in some ways there is some progress but in some ways there’s backwards progress. We’re seeing good things happen in fact. We have a more, perhaps a more normal relationship with our embassies. We continue to find it difficult to carry out programs. President Karimov and I agreed that we would do things together. We would work together in areas of security, of education, of social development, political progress, counter-narcotics, counter-terrorism. We agreed on these things. Unfortunately, not all of them -- not many of them have happened; and particularly watching in Uzbekistan the way they continue to close down civic organizations, non-governmental organizations, anybody who’s involved in society, anybody who’s trying to build something new has had a problem in Uzbekistan, including people we work with that do our programs.
So we still have difficulties with Uzbekistan but we still have prospects and we still have a good basis for working together. My deputy’s going out next week to Uzbekistan and we’ll try to see if we can’t start doing things again together; and that’s what we want to do.
QUESTION: At the end of 2007 Uzbekistan will hold its presidential election but the international community and the Government of Uzbekistan, they have been quiet. What is the U.S. position on the upcoming Uzbek election?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY BOUCHER: I don’t think we see any real attempt by the Uzbek leadership to make this a genuine election, to give the people of Uzbekistan a genuine choice. Elections are not just people showing up and throwing ballots in a box. An election is giving people a choice. Letting voices be heard, letting ideas be heard, debated, discussed, and then letting the people choose. So unless we see a sign that they’re serious about having a real election, a genuine choice, I don’t think there’s much that we have to say about it.
QUESTION: Thank you so much.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY BOUCHER: Thank you so much. It’s good to see you.
