13 March 2006: KYRGYZSTAN TO RECEIVE ASSISTANCE FROM UNITED STATES AND CHINA
On 13 March 2006, as reported by Kyrgyz media, U.S. officials representing the Export Control and Related Border Security Assistance program (EXBS) administered by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Nonproliferation met with Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry on Emergency Situations (MES) officials in Bishkek, to discuss future cooperation, including the training of 10 Kyrgyz emergency responders in 2006, the supply of special radiation control and detection equipment to the MES, and the organization of joint U.S.-Kyrgyz emergency response exercises. During the meeting, Anne Cummings, who runs the Central Asia EXBS programs at the Department of State’s Office of Export Control Cooperation introduced Frederick Fetti, a new EXBS program advisor assigned to Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, to the Kyrgyz side.[1,2]

In a separate development, in late March 2006, a delegation of the Border Guard Troops under the National Security Service of the Kyrgyz Republic visited China at the invitation of the Chinese Ministry of Defense. During the visit, Kyrgyz border guard officials and their Chinese counterparts from the Ministry of Defense and the Border Control Department of the Ministry of Public Security, discussed the situation at the Kyrgyz-Chinese border and bilateral border security cooperation, including cooperation in preventing illegal trafficking in arms, munitions, drugs, psychotropic substances, and precursors as well as in ensuring normal operation of border crossings. They also addressed such issues as the training of Kyrgyz border guard personnel in Chinese military institutions and joint border security exercises.[3] Earlier, in December 2005, during the visit of the Chinese Ministry of Defense delegation to Kyrgyzstan, the two sides signed an agreement under which China promised to grant military equipment worth RMB3 million (approximately US$375,000) to Kyrgyzstan.[4]

Sources:
[1] “Kontakty krepnut” (Contacts grow stronger), Slovo Kyrgyzstana online edition, No. 24 (21914), March 14, 2006, <http://www.sk.kg>.
[2] “SShA podderzhat ‘chrezvychayshchikov’ Kirgizii” (The United States will support Kyrgyz emergency response officials), Kyrgyz Press news agency, March 14, 2006, <http://www.kyrgpress.org.kg>.
[3] N. Dzhaparova, “Pogranvoyska CNB Kyrgyzstana i silovyye vedomstva Kitaya dogovorilis o sotrudnichestve v borbe s nezakonnym oborotom oruzhiya i narkotikov” (The Border Guard Troops under the National Security Service of Kyrgyzstan and China’s law enforcement agencies agreed to cooperate in the fight against illicit trafficking in arms and drugs), Kabar news agency, March 30, 2006, <http://www.kabar.kg>.
[4] “Kitay v 2006 godu predostavit bezvozmezdnuyu pomoshch Pogranichnym voyskam SNB Kyrgyzstana na 3 mln.yuaney” (In

2006, China will grant RMB3 million worth of assistance to the Border Guard Troops under the National Security Service of Kyrgyzstan), Kabar news agency, December 15, 2005; in Obshchestvennyy rating (Public rating) online edition, http://www.pr.kg
This item originally appeared in International Export Control Observer: <http://www.cns.miis.edu/pubs/observer/index.htm>.

24-26 January 2006: KYRGYZ-U.S. EXPORT CONTROL WORKSHOP HELD IN BISHKEK

by Bolot Kulmatov, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic

On January 24-26, 2006, the Kyrgyz Ministry of Foreign Affairs and U.S. Department of Commerce organized a joint technical workshop, in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on issues related to control lists of dual-use and military commodities. The event, organized as part of U.S. methodological assistance to Kyrgyzstan in the creation of the national export control system, brought together representatives of the Kyrgyz ministries and agencies involved in export controls including members of the Permanent Interagency Working Group on Export Control. [Editor’s Note: The Permanent Interagency Working Group of Export Control Experts was established by Government Directive No. 121 of March 17, 2003 to develop the legal framework for the implementation of the law of the Kyrgyz Republic On Export Control adopted in January 2003.]

The workshop aimed to familiarize Kyrgyz export control officials with the European Union’s (EU) system of export control and international nonproliferation and export control regimes. Experts from the United States, Romania, and Kazakhstan gave presentations on the application of dual-use control lists and multilateral export control measures covering sensitive items. Workshop participants examined the structure of the EU model control list for dual-use goods and learned how EU experts use control lists in commodity classification decisions. Kyrgyz officials made presentations on the status of Kyrgyzstan’s export control system and the national control list, which is being developed based on the common control list of the Eurasian Economic Community member states and the guidelines of international export control regimes. At the conclusion of the workshop participants agreed that the continuation of U.S. assistance is essential to support Kyrgyz efforts to implement the country’s export control system.
This item originally appeared in International Export Control Observer: <http://www.cns.miis.edu/pubs/observer/index.htm>.

30 November 2005: NEWLY REFURBISHED CUSTOMS CHECKPOINT OPENED ON KYRGYZ-KAZAKH BORDER

On November 30, 2005, a ceremony attended by U.S. Ambassador in Kyrgyzstan Marie Yovanovitch, Deputy Prime Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic Adakhan Madumarov, Director of the State Customs Inspectorate Sarsen Omarkulov, and Deputy Chief of the Border Troops under the National Security Service (SNB) Sadyrbek Dubanaev marked the opening of a newly refurbished customs checkpoint at Ak-Tilek (Chuyskaya Oblast, Kyrgyzstan) at the Kyrgyz-Kazakh border. The facility’s modernization cost US$1 million and was funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) Program. In addition, the new checkpoint received 16 Russian-made Niva all-terrain vehicles, portable radio transmitters, a generator, computers, truck scales, and other equipment. Ak-Tilek is the third customs checkpoint to be modernized with U.S. assistance, after the Kyzyl-Bel (Batken Oblast) and Karamyk (Osh Oblast) checkpoints.[1,2,3]
Sources:
[1] “Posolstvo SShA peredaet dlya tamozhennikov modernizirovannyi punkt propuska” (U.S. Embassy transferred a modernized checkpoint to the customs officials), AKIpress News Agency (Kyrgyzstan), November 29, 2005, <http://www.akipress.org>.
[2] Tatyana Orlova, “Brendi ne nado–sluzhbu davai” (I do not need your brandy—give me a job), Moya stolitsa (Kyrgyzstan), December 2, 2005, <http://www.msn.kg>.
[3] “Delo na million dollarov” (Deal worth one million dollars), Vecherniy Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), December 1, 2005; in Integrum Techno database, <http://www.integrum.com>.
This item originally appeared in International Export Control Observer: <http://www.cns.miis.edu/pubs/observer/index.htm>.

7 October 2005: KYRGYZ AUTHORITIES SECURE 1,000 RADIOACTIVE SOURCES, CONTINUE TO SEARCH

In the past 12 months, Kyrgyzstan has secured or disposed of 1,000 items of radioactive material deemed to be vulnerable to theft or terrorism, BBC News reported on 7 October 2005. According to Kyrgyz authorities, there are 500 more items to secure, and an unidentified amount of material is still missing.[1]

When the Soviet Union disintegrated, the centralized control of radioactive materials collapsed, and many radioactive sources were lost or abandoned. With U.S. assistance and in cooperation with the IAEA, the Kyrgyz government is now working to secure radioactive materials and prevent terrorists from acquiring them.[1]

At present, Kyrgyzstan does not have a complete inventory of radioactive sources. According to IAEA representative Carolyn McKenzie, the Kyrgyz government needs a plan of action to search for the missing sources. Currently, radioactive materials often end up as scrap, and it is typically scrap workers who find them and run the risk of radiation poisoning, MacKenzie said.[1]

The largest missing sources are believed to be Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) that were used to power mountain-top radio transmitters. They are easy to carry and therefore can be attractive to terrorists.[1] [Editor’s Note: RTGs were built during the Soviet era to power space facilities, remote lighthouses, meteorological stations, naval navigational aids, and some military facilities. RTGs are powered by strontium-90, a radioactive material with a halflife of 200 years, and contain 30,000-300,000 curies of radioactivity, making them extremely dangerous if dismantled. As such, they could provide material for a radiological dispersal device (RDD). No data is available on the number of RTGs remaining in Kyrgyzstan, but according to a May 2003 report by the U.S. General Accounting Office, there were, at that time, approximately 1,031 of them in the former Soviet Union.][2]

According to Kubanychbek Noruzbayev, section head at the Department of Ecology and Nature Management of the Kyrgyz Ministry of Environment and Emergency, the movement of sources across national borders is an area of concern. He noted that Kyrgyzstan lacks a sufficient number of border guards, that radiation monitoring of vehicles crossing the border is unsatisfactory, and that villagers who live along the border complain corruption is high. According to Noruzbayev, there have been several cases of individuals trying to import radioactive sources illegally into the country.[1] No further details on these incidents were provided.

Sources:
[1] Rob Broomy, “Kyrgyz Hunt for Radioactive Matter,” BBC News, 7 October 2005, <http://news.bbc.co.uk/>.
[2] “Nuclear Nonproliferation: U.S. and International Assistance Efforts to Control Sealed Radioactive Sources Need Strengthening,” U.S. General Accounting Office, May 2003, <http://www.gao.gov/
cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-03-638>
This item originally appeared in the International Export Control Observer: <http://www.cns.miis.edu/
pubs/observer/index.htm>. {Entered 9 May 2006 SR}

29 September 2005: KYRGYZSTAN RECEIVES EXBS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

On 29 September 2005, the State Rescue Training Center under the Kyrgyz Ministry of Ecology and Emergency Situations received US$190,000 in technical assistance for use in border security and nonproliferation efforts from the U.S. Embassy in the Kyrgyz Republic. The assistance was granted under the U.S. Department of State’s Export Control and Related Border Security Assistance (EXBS) program. The donation included ten Russian-made UAZ jeeps that will be used for towing six previously provided all-terrain vehicles and four snowmobiles, as well as office furniture, computers, one projector, and a local area network (LAN) for information technology classes. According to a U.S. Embassy’s press release, in the future the EXBS program plans to provide equipment and training worth several million dollars to Kyrgyzstan.[1,2] Editor’s Note: The State Rescue Training Center under the Kyrgyz Ministry of Ecology and Emergency Situations was created in October 2003 to train junior civil defense, emergency response, and rescue officers.[3]

Sources:
[1] Press Release, September 29, 2005, U.S. Embassy in the Kyrgyz Republic website, <http://www.usemb-bishkek.rpo.at/exbs_sept_29.htm>.
[2] “Posolstvo SShA okazhet tekhnicheskuyu pomoshch MEiChS Kyrgyzstana na 190 tys. dollarov SShA” [U.S. Embassy to provide US$190,000 worth of technical assistance to the Kyrgyz Ministry of Ecology and Emergency Situations], Obshchestvennyy reyting [Public rating] (Kyrgyzstan) online edition, September 29, 2005, <http://www.pr.kg/>.
[3] “Dlya kyrgyzstanskikh SMI prezentovan Gosudarstvennyy tsentr podgotovki spasateley MEChS” [The State Rescue Training Center under the Kyrgyz Ministry of Ecology and Emergency Situations was presented to Kyrgyzstani Media], Kabar news agency; in Obshchestvennyy reyting online edition, July 2, 2004, <http://www.pr.kg/>
This item originally appeared in International Export Control Observer: <http://www.cns.miis.edu/pubs/observer/index.htm>. {Entered 9 May 2006 SR}

April-May 2005: HEADS OF KYRGYZ BORDER GUARD AND EMERGENCY AGENCIES REPLACED; BORDER GUARDS SUBORDINATED TO NATIONAL SECURITY SERVICE 
On 27 April 2005, acting president and prime minister of the Kyrgyz Republic Kurmanbek Bakiyev signed an edict dismissing Kalmurat Sadiyev and Temirbek Akmataliyev from their positions as chairman of the Border Guard Service and acting minister of ecology and emergency situations, respectively. Former minister of defense and Zhogorku Kenesh (Kyrgyz parliament) member Myrzakan Subanov was appointed new chairman of the Border Guard Service, and former Zhogorku Kenesh member Dzhanysh Rustembekov was appointed new acting minister of ecology and emergency situations.[1,2,3]

Following the dismissal of Sadiyev and Akmataliyev, the General Prosecutor’s Office initiated criminal investigations against them. According to acting prosecutor general Azimbek Beknazarov, Sadiyev was involved in the suppression of opposition protests in Osh, southwestern Kyrgyzstan, in March 2005, and both Sadiyev and Akmataliyev are believed to have orchestrated the shooting of peaceful protesters in Aksy, Jalal-Abad oblast, in March 2002, in which six civilians were killed as a result of clashes between police and protesters.[3,4] Akmataliyev was then minister of interior, and Sadiyev was his deputy.[3]

In a related development, on 23 May 2005, Kurmanbek Bakiyev signed an edict renaming the Border Guard Service as the Border Guard Troops and subordinating the agency to the National Security Service (NSS) of the Kyrgyz Republic. Due to this change, newly appointed chairman of the Border Guard Service Myrzakan Subanov is to be designated first NSS deputy chairman and commander of the Border Guard Troops.[5,6]
Sources:
[1] “Ukaz i.o. Prezidenta KR” [Edict of the acting president of the Kyrgyz Republic], Kabar news agency (Kyrgyzstan), 28 April 2005, <http://www.kabar.kg/rus/
calendar/05/Apr/28/68.htm>.
[2] “Naznacheny novyye rukovoditeli MEChS i Pogransluzhby Kyrgyzstana: Eti posty zanyali byvshie deputaty” [New heads of the Kyrgyz Ministry of Ecology and Emergency Situations and Border Guard Service appointed], Kabar news agency, 28 April 2005, The review of Central Asia website, <http://c-asia.org/index.php?cont=long&id=
9509&year=2005&today=28&month=04>.
[3] Interfax, 27 April 2005; in “Kyrgyzstani Border Commander, Ecology Minister Replaced,” FBIS Document CEP20050427314052.
[4] Vadim Neshkumay, “I.o. genprokurora Kirgizii: Ugolovnyye dela vozbuzhdeny protiv glav Pogransluzhby i MEChS respubliki” [Acting prosecutor general of Kyrgyzstan: criminal cases initiated against heads of the country’s Border Guard Service and Ministry of Ecology and Emergency Situations], ITAR-TASS, 28 April 2005; in Integrum Techno, <http://www.integrum.com>.
[5] “Pogranichnaya sluzhba Kyrgyzstana peredayetsya v vedeniye Sluzhby natsionalnoy bezopasnosti” [The border guard service of Kyrgyzstan subordinated to the National Security Service], CentrAN (Central Asian News) news agency, 23 May 2005, <http://centran.ru/cgi-bin/
index.pl?text_id=20162&all=yes>.
[6] “V Kyrgyzstane pogransluzhba preobrazovana v pogranvoyska pri SNB” [In Kyrgyzstan, the border guard service transformed into the border guard troops under the National Security Service], Kazakhstan today news agency, 24 May 2005, Gazeta.kz website, <http://www.gazeta.kz/art.asp?aid=59881>.
[This article originally appeared in NIS Export Control Observer, <http://www.cns.miis.edu/
pubs/nisexcon/index.htm>.]

14 April 2005: KYRGYZ CUSTOMS SERVICE REORGANIZED
On 14 April 2005, acting president and prime minister of the Kyrgyz Republic Kurmanbek Bakiyev signed an edict On the Reorganization of Financial Regulatory Bodies of the Kyrgyz Republic, which entered into force the same day. In accordance with the edict, the Committee for Revenues under the Ministry of Finance of the Kyrgyz Republic was disbanded, while two agencies that had previously been subordinated to that committee—the Department of Customs Service and the Tax Department—were transformed into independent agencies and renamed the State Customs Inspectorate and the State Tax Inspectorate, respectively.[1,2]

In effect, this is a reversal of the 1 October 2002, reorganization when the Committee for Revenues was created by merging the State Tax Inspectorate and the State Customs Inspectorate.[1] Speaking at the Zhogorku Kenesh (Kyrgyz parliament), Bakiyev justified the new reorganization as a way both to make tax and duty collection transparent and effective, and to curb corruption.[1,2] Colonel Sarsen Omarkulov has been appointed director of the State Customs Inspectorate.[3] The customs agency will report directly to the Cabinet of Ministers.[1,2]

Editor’s Note: On 25 March 2005, following the overthrow of President Askar Akayev, the upper house of the Zhogorku Kenesh, the Council of People’s Representatives appointed Kurmanbek Bakiyev acting president and prime minister of the Kyrgyz Republic. All heads of state agencies appointed by Bakiyev are designated “acting” until a new president—to be elected in the presidential election scheduled for July 10, 2005—approves them or appoints new individuals to replace them.
Sources:
[1] “V Kyrgyzstane uprazdnen komitet po dokhodam” [The committee on revenues disbanded in Kyrgyzstan], Kazakhstan today news agency, 15 April 2005, Gazeta.kz, <http://www.gazeta.kz/art.asp?aid=58290>.
[2] “V tselyakh obespecheniya prozrachnosti i effektivnosti Premyer-ministr KR K. Bakiev podpisal Ukaz ‘O reorganizatsii organov upravleniya finansovoy sistemy Kyrgyzskoy Respubliki’” [In an effort to ensure transparency and efficiency prime-minister of the Kyrgyz Republic K. Bakiev signed an edict ‘On reorganization of financial regulatory bodies of the Kyrgyz Republic’], Obshchestvennyy reyting [Public rating] online edition, 16 April 2005, <http://www.pr.kg/news2005/
050416allinformat.php>.
[3] “Novyye naznacheniya v pravitelstve Kyrgyzstana” [New appointments in the Kyrgyz government], Obshchestvennyy reyting online edition, 21 April 2005, <http://www.pr.kg/
news2005/050421qwerty.php>.
[This article originally appeared in NIS Export Control Observer, <http://www.cns.miis.edu/
pubs/nisexcon/index.htm>.]

28 January 2005: UNITED STATES PROVIDES VEHICLES AND EQUIPMENT TO KYRGYZSTAN
On 28 January 2005, the U.S. Embassy in the Kyrgyz Republic provided EXBS technical assistance worth $2.6 million to the Kyrgyz Border Guard Service, Department of Customs Service of the Committee on Revenues under the Ministry of Finance, and to the Ministry of Ecology and Emergency Situations. The assistance included 30 KamAZ trucks, 10 Niva vehicles, 54 sets of radio equipment, 84 sets of cold weather gear, and 60 night-vision goggles. The equipment will be used for nonproliferation and border security efforts, as well as interdiction of the transit of illegal goods.
Source:
U.S. Embassy in the Kyrgyz Republic press release, 28 January 2005, <http://bishkek.usembassy.gov/releases/
2005/EXBIS%20handover_Jan%2028_Eng.doc>.
[This article originally appeared in NIS Export Control Observer, <http://www.cns.miis.edu/
pubs/nisexcon/index.htm>.]

10-11 November 2004: KYRGYZ-U.S. EXPORT CONTROL WORKSHOP HELD IN BISHKEK
On 10-11 November 2004, a joint Kyrgyz-U.S. workshop entitled “Export Control Technical Exchange between the United States and Kyrgyzstan” was held in Bishkek. The workshop was organized by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) under DOE’s International Nonproliferation Export Control Program (INECP). The Kyrgyz attendees included members of the Permanent Interagency Working Group on Export Control from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defense, Economic Development, Industry, and Trade, Ecology and Emergencies, Internal Affairs, Finance, the National Security Service, Border Guard Service, and Department of Customs Service, as well as other Kyrgyz officials involved in export control. The U.S. participants represented the DOE, PNNL, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the U.S. Embassy in the Kyrgyz Republic.

U.S. specialists gave presentations on current challenges to nonproliferation, the U.S. export control measures covering nuclear technologies, the role of the DOE and its National Nuclear Security Administration in export control, international export control regimes, roles of technical experts, DOE’s International Nonproliferation Export Control Program (INECP), internal compliance programs, and commodity identification. Kyrgyz officials addressed the status of the national export control system and measures taken by the Kyrgyz government to streamline that system. The workshop concluded with a roundtable discussion of problems in the implementation of Kyrgyzstan’s export control system.
Source:
Nikolay Ryaguzov, "Kyrgyz-U.S. Export Control Workshop Held in Bishkek," NIS Export Control Observer, November 2004, CNS website, <http://www.cns.miis.edu/
pubs/nisexcon/index.htm>.

September 2004: KYRGYZ “PLUTONIUM” HARMLESS
Two men were arrested near Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, in September 2004 while trying to sell 60 “containers” with plutonium-239, BBC News reported on September 27, 2004 referring to the country’s National Security Service (SNB).[1]

The arrests were the result of a sting operation that concluded on 21 September 2004, with SNB agents posing as buyers from one of the Baltic states.[2,3,4] The primary suspect, a 50 year-old farmer from Malovodnyy, a settlement in Moskva Rayon of Kyrgyzstan’s Chuy Oblast, reportedly asked $3,000 for the plutonium.[4,5] [Editor’s Note: The media reports do not provide the profile of the second suspect.] SNB agents first bought several “containers” as a sample and then submitted them to the Department for State Sanitary and Epidemiological Oversight at the Kyrgyz Ministry of Public Health for examination.[5] The suspects were apprehended after the tests showed that the items were Soviet-era smoke detectors, which use a miniscule amount of plutonium-239.[6] [Editor’s Note: According to numerous sources, Soviet-made RID-6M and RID-1 type smoke detectors contained a few micrograms of plutonium-239 as an ionization source. Thus, one would need at least a million smoke detectors to create a potent nuclear weapon or a radiological dispersal device (“dirty bomb”). U.S. ionizing detectors usually contain a very small quantity of the artificially produced radioisotope americium-241, a decay product of plutonium-241.]

According to the SNB, a total of 60 RID-6M and RID-1 type smoke detectors produced in 1981-1989 in the Soviet Union were seized from the farmer who had been storing them in an abandoned sheep barn a few kilometers away from the Manas Airport outside Bishkek, where the international antiterrorist coalition airbase is located.[4,5,6] The Kyrgyz authorities are investigating the case trying to establish the origin of the smoke detectors.

According to Melissa Fleming, spokesperson for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the smoke detectors seized in Kyrgyzstan did not pose a nuclear proliferation threat.[7] However, Fleming did point out that despite the miniscule amount of material involved, a seller searching for illegal buyers for plutonium is still a cause for concern.[7] On 1 October 2004, the Kyrgyz daily Vecherniy Bishkek also noted that such smoke detectors—which were widely used in the Soviet Union at industrial facilities—have been involved in a number of similar incidents in the NIS. Although existing regulations call for these detectors to be sent to radioactive waste storage sites, economic difficulties at many industrial facilities have led to them being abandoned and often disposed of improperly.[2]
Sources:
[1] Ian MacWilliam, “Kyrgyzstan ‘Foils Plutonium Plot’,” BBC News, 27 September 2004, <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/
asia-pacific/3695588.stm>.
[2] Daniyar Karimov, “Bomba ot… pozharnogo” [A bomb from… a fireman], Vecherniy Bishkek online edition, 1 October 2004, No. 184 (8611), <http://www.vb.kg/2004/
10/01/panorama/6.html>.
[3] “V Kyrgyzstane zaderzhany prodavtsy plutoniya” [Plutonium sellers detained in Kyrgyzstan], Kazinform news agency, 28 September 2004, <http://www.inform.kz/
showarticle.php?id=95029>.
[4] “SNB: Oruzheynyy plutoniy khranilsya zaprosto v koshare” [SNB: Weapons-grade plutonium was easily stored in a sheep barn], Kyrgyzinfo news agency, 29 September 2004, <http://www.kyrgyzinfo.kg/?art=1096436391>.
[5] Erlan Satybekov, “Mechta Usamy ben Ladena” [Osama bin Laden’s dream], Vecherniy Bishkek online edition, 29 September 2004, No. 182 (8609), <http://www.vb.kg/2004/09/29/panorama/2.html>.
[6] “SNB protiv SMI: Kontrabandnyy plutoniy deystvitelno okazalsya 239” [SNB against mass media: Smuggled plutonium turned out to be pu-239], Kyrgyzinfo news agency, 30 September 2004, <http://www.kyrgyzinfo.kg/?art=1096533439>.
[7] “Kyrgyz ‘plutonium’ haul harmless,” BBC News, 30 September 2004, <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/
asia-pacific/3705242.stm>.
[This article originally appeared in NIS Export Control Observer, <http://www.cns.miis.edu/pubs/
nisexcon/index.htm>.]

September 2004: KYRGYZ GOVERNMENT BANS IMPORTS OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE
On 23 September 2004, The Guardian reported that British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) would ship about 1,800 tons of radioactive waste from British first-generation Magnox nuclear reactors, stored at the Springfields reactor fuel manufacturing plant near Preston, northwest England, to Kyrgyzstan for reprocessing at the Kara-Balta Ore Mining Combine.[1] However, on 28 September 2004, the Kyrgyz government announced a ban on imports of British radioactive waste—in this case, uranium-containing graphite crucibles that are comprised of 5% metal uranium and 95% graphite—because of safety concerns.[2,3,4] The ban was re-released in English in London on 5 October 2004.[5] The government decision came after vigorous protests from Kyrgyz environmentalists.
 
According to some reports, German contractor RWE Nukem GmbH has been negotiating the waste shipment on behalf of BNFL with the Kyrgyz government since early 2004, but it failed to get an import license after Kyrgyz environmental groups supported by some Zhogorku Kenesh (Kyrgyz parliament) deputies appealed to the Kyrgyz government in July 2004.[5] However, Emil Akmatov, spokesman for the Kyrgyz Ministry of Environment and Emergencies, claims that “nobody, neither a legal entity nor a real person, has applied to us for a license to import this uranium waste.”[6]

Under the proposed transaction, Kara-Balta Ore Mining Combine was to separate uranium from the radioactive waste and return it to the United Kingdom for reuse, while the remains were to be disposed of in Kyrgyzstan. Both BNFL and Nukem denied allegations that they were attempting to dump radioactive waste in Kyrgyzstan. According to BNFL spokesman Alan Beauchamp, “we are not looking to dispose of the waste,” adding that the material that would stay in Kyrgyzstan is not known as waste but “processed residue.” He insisted that the company “has not received any official notification” of the government ban. “We will find an alternative to the Kyrgyz plant if necessary but we do not have any lined up at the moment because we hope to get the [Kyrgyz import] license,” he said.[5,6]

The government decision pleased environmentalists but disappointed Kara-Balta Ore Mining Combine officials who dismiss any radioactive contamination risks. The officials fear that the government ban will hurt the already poor financial position of the enterprise. Boris Karpachov, head of the radiation safety service at the State Agency for Geology and Mineral Resources, argues that earnings would have allowed the country to address economic and social problems, and pay for cleanup and maintenance of uranium tailing sites.[3,5]

In February 2004, Kyrgyz Prime Minister Nikolay Tanayev said that the government would not allow the country to be turned into a uranium waste dump. “The country first needs to solve problems of its own uranium waste sites,” he said.[6]
Sources:
[1] Owen Bowcott, “UK sends uranium to Kyrgyzstan,” The Guardian online edition, 23 September 2004, <http://www.guardian.co.uk/
nuclear/article/0,2763,1310557,00.html>.
[2] “Informatsionnoye soobshcheniye” [Information release], Government of the Kyrgyz Republic press service, <http://www.gov.kg/modules.php?op=
modload&name=News&file=article&sid=667>.
[3] Interfax, 29 September 2004; in “Government Says Nuclear Waste Not Being Shipped to Kyrgyzstan from UK,” FBIS Document CEP20040929000105.
[4] “Zdes ne yadernaya svalka” [Here is not a nuclear dump], Vecherniy Bishkek online edition, 4 October 2004, No. 182 (8612), <http://vb.kg/2004/10/04/panorama/4.html>.
[5] Gulnura Toralieva, “Kyrgyzstan Blocks Nuclear Shipments,” Reporting Central Asia, 13 October 2004, No. 320, Institute of War and Peace Reporting, <http://www.iwpr.net/index.pl?
archive/rca2/rca2_320_1_eng.txt>.
[6] “KYRGYZSTAN: Not ready to import nuclear fuel for reprocessing,” Integrated Regional Information Networks, 23 September 2004, <http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=43320&  SelectRegion=Central_Asia&SelectCountry=KYRGYZSTAN>.
[This article originally appeared in NIS Export Control Observer, <http://www.cns.miis.edu/pubs/
nisexcon/index.htm>.]

23-26 August 2004: JOINT KYRGYZ-U.S. EXPORT CONTROL WORKSHOP HELD IN BISHKEK
On 23-26 August 2004, a joint Kyrgyz-U.S. workshop on control lists of military and dual-use commodities was held in Bishkek. The workshop was organized by the U.S. Department of State and the Kyrgyz Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) for Kyrgyz officials involved in export control from the MFA, Ministry of Defense (MOD), Ministry of Economic Development, Industry, and Trade (MEDIT), Ministry of Environment and Emergency (MEE), Ministry of Internal Affairs, National Security Service, Customs and Border Guard services, and Academy of Science, as well as representatives from local industrial enterprises.

During the first two days, U.S. specialists gave presentations on developing a national control list based on essential principles outlined by international export control regimes. Kyrgyz officials from the MEDIT, MOD, and MEE made presentations on the status of Kyrgyzstan’s export control system and measures for implementing that system. On August 25-26, workshop participants examined the European Union’s (EU) Common List of Military Goods, held commodity identification exercises, discussed the EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports, and exchanged views on problems in the implementation of Kyrgyzstan’s export control system. U.S. officials in attendance assured their Kyrgyz counterparts that the United States would provide all assistance necessary to support Kyrgyz efforts to implement the country’s export control system.
Source:
Nikolay Ryaguzov, "Joint Kyrgyz-U.S. Export Control Workshop Held in Bishkek," NIS Export Control Observer, September 2004, CNS website, <http://www.cns.miis.edu/
pubs/nisexcon/index.htm>.

July 2004: EXPORT CONTROL REGULATIONS TO BE AMENDED IN KYRGYZ REPUBLIC
At its 14 July 2004 session chaired by prime minister Nikolay Tanayev, the Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation and Export Control of the Kyrgyz Republic tasked the Ministry of Defense (MOD) and Ministry of Economic Development, Industry, and Trade (MEDIT) with creating working groups, one in each ministry, to develop coordinated amendments to Governmental Decree No. 330 of 4 May 2004 On Measures Establishing a National System of Export Control in the Kyrgyz Republic. Amendments are necessary to eliminate interagency disagreements resulting from the decree between the MOD and MEDIT. Previously, the MOD licensed exports and imports of military goods, nuclear materials, special non-nuclear materials, and means of WMD delivery. Decree No. 330 designated the MEDIT as the government authority to implement export controls with regards to all controlled items. Arguing that exports and imports of sensitive items should remain in their purview for national security reasons, MOD officials initiated the revision process. MOD officials also quoted the recent changes in Russia’s export control system, in which the Federal Technical and Export Control Service under the Russian Ministry of Defense now licenses exports and imports of all controlled items, as another argument supporting their continued control over exports.

Major-General Asylbek Ormokoyev, deputy minister of defense, heads the working group in the Ministry of Defense, and the MEDIT working group is headed by deputy minister Nina Kirichenko. On September 8, 2004, the two working groups held a joint session at the Office of the Prime Minister and agreed on changes to Decree 330 that will allow the MOD to license military goods, nuclear materials, special non-nuclear materials, and means of WMD delivery. The respective government decree draft is currently under interagency review. It is expected that it will be submitted to the government of the Kyrgyz Republic for consideration in October 2004.
Source:
Nikolay Ryaguzov, "Export Control Regulations to Be Amended in Kyrgyz Republic," NIS Export Control Observer, September 2004, CNS website, <http://www.cns.miis.edu/pubs/nisexcon/index.htm>.

12 July 2004: KYRGYZ PRESIDENT SIGNS NEW CUSTOMS CODE
On 12 July 2004, Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev signed the Customs Code of the Kyrgyz Republic and the law On Bringing into Force the Customs Code of the Kyrgyz Republic. The new customs code defines legal, economic, and organizational aspects of customs affairs and regulates procedures for the movement of goods and vehicles through Kyrgyzstan’s borders. The law sets the date on which the code will come into effect—1 January 2005, and declares all other customs laws void.
Source:
“Prezident Kyrgyzskoy Respubliki A. Akayev 12 iyulya 2004 goda podpisal Tamozhennyy kodeks Kyrgyzskoy Respubliki i Zakon Kyrgyzskoy Respubliki ‘O vvedenii v deystviye Tamozhennogo kodeksa Kyrgyzskoy Respubliki’” [President of the Kyrgyz Republic A. Akayev on 12 July 2004 signed the Customs Code of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Law of the Kyrgyz Republic On Bringing into Force the Customs Code of the Kyrgyz Republic], 13 July 2004, President of the Kyrgyz Republic website, <http://www.president.kg/press/news/1205/>.
[This article originally appeared in NIS Export Control Observer, <http://www.cns.miis.edu/pubs/nisexcon/index.htm>.]

June-July 2004: U.S. PROVIDES VEHICLES AND EQUIPMENT TO KYRGYZSTAN
In June 2004, the Border Guard Service of Kyrgyzstan received four KamAZ trucks and one Volga car worth more than $130,000 from the United States.[1] In addition, on 13 July 2004, the U.S. Embassy in the Kyrgyz Republic donated three KamAZ-43114 heavy duty trucks valued at $95,718 to the Kyrgyz Ministry of Ecology and Emergency Situations followed by the donation on 23 July 2004 of four UAZ-396259 vans and two CT-30 inspection tool kits valued at $51,600 to the Department of Customs Service of the Committee on Revenues under the Ministry of Finance of the Kyrgyz Republic.[2,3,4] This technical assistance to Kyrgyz government agencies was provided under the U.S. State Department Export Control and Border Security (EXBS) program and will be used for nonproliferation and border security efforts.

In addition to the above donations, on 22 July 2004, the U.S. Embassy handed over four Niva-21213 and one UAZ vehicles, and computer, radio and investigative equipment valued at $130,000 to the Drug Control Agency of the Kyrgyz Republic under the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) project implemented by the U.S. Department of State. This donation was only a part of the equipment that will be provided under a larger agreement, valued at $465,000.[5]
Sources:
[1] Vladimir Alov, “Kurs – na granitsu” [Heading to the border], Vecherniy Bishkek online edition, 28 June 2004, No. 116 (8543), <http://www.vb.kg/2004/
06/28/panorama/12.html>.
[2] Anastasiya Karelina, “Chrezvychaynyye KamAZy” [Emergency KamAZs], Vecherniy Bishkek online edition, 14 July 2004, No. 128 (8555), <http://www.vb.kg/2004/
07/14/panorama/12.html>.
[3] “Three KAMAZ-43114 trucks to the Ministry of Ecology and Emergency Situations,” U.S. Embassy in the Kyrgyz Republic press release, <http://bishkek.usembassy.gov/
press_releases_archives_2004.htm>.
[4] “UAZ-396259 vans and two CT-30 inspection tool kits to the Customs Services Directorate of the Committee on Revenue under the Ministry of Finance of the Kyrgyz Republic,” U.S. Embassy in the Kyrgyz Republic press release, <http://bishkek.usembassy.gov/
press_releases_archives_2004.htm>.
[5] “Vehicles and equipment to Kyrgyz Counter Narcotics Organs,” U.S. Embassy in the Kyrgyz Republic press release, <http://bishkek.usembassy.gov/
press_releases_archives_2004.htm>.
[This article originally appeared in NIS Export Control Observer, <http://www.cns.miis.edu/p
ubs/nisexcon/index.htm>.]

4 May 2004: KYRGYZSTAN ISSUES NEW EXPORT CONTROL IMPLEMENTING LEGISLATION
On 4 May 2004, the government of the Kyrgyz Republic issued Decree No. 330 On Measures Establishing a National System of Export Control in the Kyrgyz Republic, by which it approved the statutes On the Implementation of Export Control Procedures in the Kyrgyz Republic and On the Licensing Procedure for the Transit of Controlled Commodities through the Territory of the Kyrgyz Republic, as well as a new statute On the Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation and Export Control (CMTCEC) of the Kyrgyz Republic.

The decree and the statutes designate the Ministry of Economic Development, Industry, and Trade (MEDIT), created in February 2004, as the government authority to implement export controls and issue licenses for exports, imports, re-exports, and transit of controlled items, and end-user import certificates. The CMTCEC is designated as the national coordinating authority in the sphere of export control. Before the creation of the new ministry, its predecessor—the Ministry of External Trade and Industry—controlled exports and imports of controlled items, except for nuclear materials and military goods, the exports and imports of which were licensed by the Ministry of Defense. According to the new implementing legislation, the MEDIT will issue export, import, re-export, and transit licenses, and end-user import certificates after preliminary coordination with a number of government agencies designated as experts on certain controlled items. In addition, on the same day, the government issued Directive No. 272-r, which introduced personnel changes to the Permanent Interagency Working Group on Export Control (PIWGEC). For details on controlled items, expert agencies, and working group personnel changes, see "Kyrgyzstan Issues New Export Control Implementing Legislation, Introduces Changes to Working Group on Export Control," NIS Export Control Observer, May 2004, http://cns.miis.edu/
pubs/nisexcon/pdfs/ob_0405e.pdf.
Source:
"Kyrgyzstan Issues New Export Control Implementing Legislation, Introduces Changes to Working Group on Export Control," NIS Export Control Observer, May 2004, <http://www.cns.miis.edu/
pubs/nisexcon/index.htm>. {Entered 11 June 2004 CC}

18 December 2003: KYRGYZ EXPORT CONTROL COMMISSION DISCUSSES IMPLEMENTING LEGISLATION
On December 18, 2003, the Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation and Export Control (CMTCEC) of the Kyrgyz Republic held a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Nikolay Tanayev, who also serves as CMTCEC chairman.[1] This was the Commission’s first meeting since 14 August 2003, when President Askar Akayev signed Edict No. 265 On Measures for the Further Development of Military-Technical Cooperation of the Kyrgyz Republic with Foreign Countries and the Implementation of a National System of Export Control, which added “and Export Control” to the name of the Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation, expanded its scope of responsibilities, and added several new members to the commission.[1,2]

Issues discussed at the meeting included the approval of the draft government decree On Measures Establishing a National System of Export Control in the Kyrgyz Republic and inclusion of military goods in the country’s national control list. Since the inclusion of military goods in the Kyrgyz national control list would necessitate the introduction of corresponding amendments to the law On Export Control, the participants also discussed these changes in the course of the meeting. Colonel Oleg Chechel, deputy minister of defense and head of the Permanent Interagency Working Group of Export Control Experts, informed CMTCEC members that, if adopted, the proposed government decree would approve several draft pieces of implementing legislation, including a new CMTCEC statute, and the statutes On the Implementation of Export Control Procedures in the Kyrgyz Republic and On the Licensing Procedure for the Transit of Controlled Commodities through the Territory of the Kyrgyz Republic.[1] [Editor’s Note: The Permanent Interagency Working Group of Export Control Experts was established by Government Directive No. 121 of 17 March 2003 to develop the legal framework for the implementation of the law On Export Control adopted in January 2003.][3]

According to Chechel, the Interagency Working Group should finish drafting the national control list in the first quarter of 2004. This draft list must subsequently be reviewed at the next CTMCEC meeting—probably in April-May 2004, endorsed by the government, and submitted to the Zhogorku Kenesh (Kyrgyz parliament) for final approval. It is expected that the Zhogorku Kenesh will adopt the national control list by the end of June 2004.  Along with the law On Export Control and relevant implementing legislation, the adoption of the single list of controlled items will facilitate the work of Kyrgyz export control agencies, including customs and border guard services. According to Chechel, at the end of the meeting, the CMTCEC members decided to charge ministries engaged in export control with revising the drafts of proposed implementing legislation and submitting them to the government for review.[1]
Sources:
[1] CNS communication with Nikolay Ryaguzov, deputy head of the Directorate of Military-Technical Cooperation of the Ministry of Defense of the Kyrgyz Republic, 30 December 2003.
[2] For details of Edict No. 265 and the CMTCEC, see: “Kyrgyzstan Makes Progress in Developing its National Export Control System,” NIS Export Control Observer, No. 9, September 2003, pp. 2-3, <http://www.cns.miis.edu/
pubs/nisexcon/index.htm>.
[3] Nikolay Ryaguzov, “Export Control Working Group Formed in Kyrgyzstan,” NIS Export Control Observer, No. 4, April 2003, pp. 7-8, <http://www.cns.miis.edu/
pubs/nisexcon/index.htm>.
[This article originally appeared in NIS Export Control Observer, <http://www.cns.miis.edu/
nisexcon/index.htm>.]

15-18 December 2003: U.S.–KYRGYZ TECHNICAL FORUM ON CONTROL LISTS
On 15-18 December 2003, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the U.S. Department of Commerce organized a U.S.-Kyrgyz Technical Forum on Control Lists in Washington, DC, in the framework of WMD nonproliferation and export control cooperation.

BIS representatives familiarized their Kyrgyz counterparts with the structure of the European control list, its significance for and function in the international export control system, as well as means for its application by officials involved in export control. Particular attention was given to procedures for appropriate identification of controlled commodities. Representatives from the U.S. Departments of Defense, Energy, and State, as well as from the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) and United Technologies Corporation (UTC) made presentations on the role of their agencies and organizations in the development, revision, and application of the U.S. national control list. Kyrgyz delegates made presentations on the current state of the export control system in Kyrgyzstan.

The forum concluded with a round table, at which the U.S. side agreed to provide instructional support to Kyrgyz export control experts in the development of Kyrgyzstan’s national control list. As a first step, U.S. officials will organize a technical workshop in Bishkek in February-March 2004. The Kyrgyz side also made a request for U.S. technical and financial assistance to Kyrgyz agencies involved in export control to facilitate the implementation and effective functioning of the country’s fledgling export control system.

The Kyrgyz delegation was headed by M. Ismailov, deputy minister of finance and included Zh. Tumenbayeva, deputy minister of external trade and industry; N. Dzholdoshev, head of the department of the prime minister’s office; D. Kamelova, deputy head of the International Law Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Colonel A. Davletov, head of the Export Control and Licensing Department of the Ministry of Defense and member of the Permanent Interagency Working Group of Export Control Experts.

Editor’s Note: The Institute for Defense Analyses is a federally funded research and development center established to assist the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, the Unified Commands, and Defense Agencies in addressing important national security issues, particularly those requiring scientific and technical expertise. IDA also conducts related research for other government agencies on national problems for which the Institute’s skills and experience are especially suited.[1] UTC is a global technology corporation with innovations in aerospace, aviation, helicopter design, climate control, elevator design, and hydrogen fuel cells.[2]
Sources:
[1] Institute for Defense Analyses website, <http://www.ida.org/IDAnew/
Welcome/history.html>.
[2] United Technologies Corporation website, <http://www.utc.com/
profile/index.htm>.
[This article originally appeared in NIS Export Control Observer, <http://www.cns.miis.edu/
pubs/nisexcon/index.htm>.]

September 2003: KYRGYZSTAN MAKES PROGRESS IN DEVELOPING ITS NATIONAL EXPORT CONTROL SYSTEM
Kyrgyzstan has taken several actions to further develop its export control system since the adoption of the law On Export Control in January 2003. The Permanent Interagency Working Group of Export Control Experts, established by Government Directive No. 121 of 17 March 2003, has submitted several draft pieces of legislation to the government and has recommended changes to the structure of the export control system.[1,2] One piece of draft legislation the working group produced is the statute On the Issuance of Licenses for Import, Export and Re-export of Commodities on the National Control List That Can Be Used for the Production of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), which establishes a licensing mechanism for controlled goods.[4,5] The statute will likely be adopted as an amendment to the law On Licensing during fall 2003.[4] The Working Group will also develop a unified control list, based on the EU and Kazakhstani control lists, by the end of 2003. The control list will likely be endorsed by the government and submitted to the Legislative Assembly for approval during the first half of 2004.[3]
Sources:
[1] Marat Usupov, "Export Control Law Adopted in Kyrgyzstan," NIS Export Control Observer, No. 3, March 2003, p.2, <http://www.cns.miis.edu/
pubs/nisexcon/index.htm>.
[2] Nikolay Ryaguzov, "Export Control Working Group Formed in Kyrgyzstan," NIS Export Control Observer, No. 4, April 2003, pp. 7-8, <http://www.cns.miis.edu/
pubs/nisexcon/index.htm>.
[3] CNS communication with Mr. Nikolay Ryaguzov, deputy head of the Directorate of Military-Technical Cooperation of the Ministry of Defense of Kyrgyzstan, September 24, 2003.
[4] "Kyrgyzstan uzhestochit kontrol za eksportom i importom produktsii, ispolzuyemoy dlya sozdaniya OMU," Xinhua news agency, 15 July 2003; in Integrum Techno, <http://www.integrum.com>.
[5] "V Kirgizii gotovyat noviy zakon o kontrole za produktsiyey dvoynogo naznacheniya," Kyrgyz-Press News Agency, 17 July 2003, <http://www.kyrgpress.org.kg/03/Jul/17/7.htm>.
{Entered 13 October 2003 EC; adapted from article published in NIS Export Control Observer, September 2003, <http://www.cns.miis.edu/
pubs/nisexcon/index.htm>.}

5 September 2003: TWO U.S. PROGRAMS PROVIDE EQUIPMENT TO KYRGYZSTANI BORDER GUARDS AND CUSTOMS OFFICIALS
On 5 September 2003, in Bishkek, U.S. Embassy representatives and officials from the Border Guard Service of Kyrgyzstan signed a contract according to which the U.S. government will provide Kyrgyzstani border guards with material and technical assistance worth more than $2 million. The assistance is being provided under the U.S. Department of Defense Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program.[1] According to a 23 July 2003 joint press release issued by the U.S. Embassy and the Kyrgyzstani Ministry of Defense, the FMF program in Kyrgyzstan supports the Kyrgyzstani Ministry of Defense, as well as law enforcement and security agencies, in their fight against terrorism. Under the auspices of this program, the Kyrgyzstani armed forces receive mountain equipment, winter uniforms, communications equipment, means of transportation, and other articles intended to strengthen the capabilities of the Ministry of Defense and related law enforcement and security agencies. FMF funds are also used together with U.S. Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) program funds for purchasing spare parts for and performing necessary maintenance on aircraft, which are vital for conducting border control and ensuring the security of state borders.[2]

In a related development, on 22 August 2003, U.S. Embassy representatives provided technical assistance to the Customs Services Directorate of the Committee on Revenues of the Kyrgyzstani Ministry of Finance. The technical assistance package, valued at $125,000, included 45 radiation pagers, 71 Motorola radios, and 25 computers and is intended for nonproliferation and border security efforts, as well as for interdiction of the transit of illegal goods.[3] In 2002, the U.S. Congress approved the allocation of $3.5 million for the implementation of the Aviation-Interdiction Project in Kyrgyzstan, under the EXBS program.[1,4] The EXBS Aviation-Interdiction Project is designed to “help Kyrgyzstan’s interoperability with U.S. and Coalition forces to secure its borders and counter terrorism.”[5] On 27 August 2002, under the EXBS Aviation-Interdiction Project, the U.S. Customs Service awarded a $3.3 million contract for two fully refurbished Mi-8 helicopters to be provided to Kyrgyzstani border guards.[6]

Since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations between the United States and the Kyrgyz Republic in 1992, Kyrgyzstan has received $780 million in U.S. government assistance.[1]

Editor’s Note: According to the official description provided by the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the FMF program is “the U.S. government program for financing through grants and loans the acquisition of U.S. military articles, services, and training.” The FMF program “supports U.S. regional stability goals and enables friends and allies to improve their defense capabilities.”[7]
Sources:
[1] “SShA predostavyat pogranichnikam Kirgizii materialno-tekhnicheskuyu pomoshch na dva milliona dollarov” [U.S. will provide material-technical assistance worth two million dollars to Kyrgyzstani border guards], Caspian News Agency (CNA), 8 September 2003; in Integrum Techno, <http://www.integrum.com>.
[2] “Press-reliz po programmam otdela voyennogo sotrudnichestva, planu dvukhstoronnikh voyennykh kontaktov i po kursu boyevogo spasatelya” [Press release on department of military cooperation programs, on plan of bilateral military contacts and on military rescuer training course], Public Affairs Section, U.S. Embassy in Kyrgyzstan, 29 July 2003, <http://www.usemb-bishkek.rpo.at/
releases/2003/miltomilprog0729rus.doc>.
[3] Public Affairs Section, U.S. Embassy in Kyrgyzstan, 22 August 2003, <http://www.usemb-bishkek.rpo.at/
releases/2003/custom0822eng.doc>.
[4] “U.S. Assistance to the Kyrgyz Republic – Fiscal Year 2002,” U.S. Department of State, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, Fact Sheet, 6 June 2002, <http://www.state.gov/
p/eur/rls/fs/11033.htm>.
[5] “U.S. Assistance to the Kyrgyz Republic – Fiscal Year 2002,” U.S. Department of State, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, Fact Sheet, 15 November 2002, <http://www.state.gov/
p/eur/rls/fs/15220.htm>.
[6] “The U.S.-Kyrgyzstan Developing Partnership,” U.S. Department of State, Office of the Spokesman, Fact Sheet, 24 September 2002, <http://www.state.gov/r/pa/
prs/ps/2002/13642.htm>.
[7] “Foreign Military Financing Program,” U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) official website, <http://www.dsca.osd.mil/home/
foreign_military_financing%20_program.htm>.
[This article originally appeared in NIS Export Control Observer, <http://www.cns.miis.edu/
pubs/nisexcon/index.htm>.]

6 June 2003: KYRGYZSTAN TO OPEN 26 NEW BORDER CROSSINGS
A decree issued on 16 June 2003 by the Kyrgyzstani government orders 26 new checkpoints to be opened along road and rail lines across borders with Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The new checkpoints will be established to increase border control and security and also to reduce illegal migration and smuggling.
Source:
"26 new border crossings open in Kyrgyzstan," Kabar News Agency website, <http://www.kabar.kg>, 16 June 2003.
[This article originally appeared in NIS Export Control Observer, <http://www.cns.miis.edu/
pubs/nisexcon/index.htm>.] {Entered 24 June 2003 AE}

May 2003: STOLEN EUROPIUM FOUND IN KYRGYZSTAN
As reported in the February issue of the NIS Export Control Observer, 23 boxes containing europium oxide and 43 boxes of silicon wafers were stolen from a warehouse of the Kyrgyz Chemical Metallurgical Plant in Kyrgyzstan in January 2003.[1] In the second half of May 2003, Kyrgyzstani law enforcement authorities arrested three individuals suspected of carrying out the theft: Zh. Chokchonov, a 37-year old resident of the village of Orlovka; M. Tynaliyev, a 41-year old resident of the village of Kyzyl-Suu; and K. Abdrakhmanov, a 38-year old resident of the village of Progress.[2] The three are members of an organized group that has allegedly engaged in thefts of rare-earth metals.[3] They are charged with violating Article 168,of the Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Republic, which provides for imprisonment from six to twelve years and confiscation of property.[2,4] In the course of their investigation, Kyrgyzstani authorities established that the perpetrators divided the stolen silicon wafers and europium oxide into several parts, which were then stored in different locations.[3] At present, all stolen silicon is accounted for. However, only about 100 kg of more than 400 kg of stolen europium oxide has been recovered.[2]

Editor’s Note: Europium metal for commercial use is not radioactive and cannot be used as an explosive. It is used as a neutron absorber in the production of nuclear equipment, such as control rods for nuclear reactors.[6] It is also used in steel production, optics, X-ray equipment, and color television screens. Although all but two of the more than a dozen isotopes of europium are radioactive, most of the radioactive europium isotopes have relatively short half-lives – less than a few months; therefore, they would not be useful in a radiological dispersal device or “dirty bomb.” Some of these radioactive europium isotopes are typically used as tracer material in chemical reactions, as well as for medical diagnoses and treatment of some forms of cancer. The four europium radioactive isotopes that are long-lived, with half-lives ranging from 5 to 34 years, pose external and internal health hazards; however, these isotopes are rare in occurrence and mainly present a health concern at nuclear waste storage locations, such as the Hanford site in the United States.
Sources:
[1] For the background of this story see: “Europium Oxide Stolen in Kyrgyzstan,” NIS Export Control Observer, <http://www.cns.miis.edu/
pubs/nisexcon/index.htm>, No. 2, February, 2003, pp. 12-13.
[2] Aleksandra Chernykh, "Yevropiy daleko ne ushel" [Europium hasn't gone far], Moya stolitsa, <http://www.msn.kg>, 23 May 2003.
[3] Svetlana Lokteva, "Yevropiy vernulsya iz podpolya" [Europium returned from underground], Vecherniy Bishkek, No. 94 (8270), May 22, 2003, p. 3.
[4] Article 168 (2) "Robbery" of the Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Republic of 18 September 1997, Encyclopedia of Kyrgyz Law, <http://www.adviser.kg>.
[5] “Komu ponadobilsya kirgizskiy evropiy?” [Who was in need of Kyrgyzstani europium?], RTR-Vesti.Ru website, <http://www.vesti.ru/
news_print.html?pid=23444>, 9 January 2003.
[6] “V Kirgizii pokhishcheno yadernoye syrye” [Nuclear material stolen in Kyrgyzstan], RTR-Vesti.Ru website, <http://www.vesti.ru/
news_print.html?pid=23421>, 9 January 2003.
[This article originally appeared in NIS Export Control Observer, <http://www.cns.miis.edu/
pubs/nisexcon/index.htm>.]

March 2003: EXPORT CONTROL WORKING GROUP FORMED IN KYRGYZSTAN
With the purpose of implementing the Law On Export Control adopted by the Kyrgyz Republic in March 2003, the Kyrgyzstani government issued directive No. 121 on 17 March 2003, establishing a permanent interagency working group consisting of export control experts.[1] As stipulated in directive 121, the working group is tasked with developing the legal foundation for the implementation of a system of export controls over dual-use goods, selected raw materials, equipment, technologies, scientific and engineering information, and services that could be used in the development of weapons of mass destruction, delivery vehicles or other weapons and military hardware. The directive also specifies the work schedule of the working group, with the following deliverables:
• Within two months after the adoption of the Directive, the working group will prepare a draft government decree on the implementation of the law on export control, and make proposals to bring the legislative acts of the Kyrgyz Republic in compliance with the provisions of the aforementioned law;
• During the first half of 2003, the working group will develop a statute on the order of implementation of export controls in Kyrgyzstan, and prepare other legal acts regulating the operation of the export control system; these documents will be submitted to the Kyrgyz government for consideration by July 1, 2003;
• During the second half of 2003, the working group will prepare a draft of the Kyrgyzstani national list of controlled goods and submit it to the government for consideration in the first quarter of 2004;
• The working group will submit progress reports to the office of the prime minister on a quarterly basis.

The government directive authorizes the head of the working group to engage experts from ministries, state committees, administrative departments, state commissions, companies, and other organizations, if their participation is required to complete the tasks described above.
Source:
Nikolay Ryaguzov, "Export Control Working Group Formed in Kyrgyzstan," NIS Export Control Observer, April 2003, CNS website, <http://www.cns.miis.edu/
pubs/nisexcon/index.htm>.

23 January 2003: EXPORT CONTROL LAW ADOPTED IN KYRGYZSTAN
On 23 January 2003, the Legislative Assembly (Zakonodatelnoye Sobraniye) of the Kyrgyzstani Parliament (Zhogorku Kenesh) adopted the law On Export Control. The document was signed into law by Kyzgyzstani President Askar Akayev and came into force in March 2003. The law, prepared by the Ministries of Defense, Foreign Trade and Industry, and Foreign Affairs, was originally debated at a session of the Legislative Assembly on 26 September 2002. The Assembly voted for the draft law on the first reading, noting however that it required further revision. On 27 December 2002, the Legislative Assembly considered a revised draft, which it eventually adopted in January 2003. To implement the law, the Kyrgyzstani government issued a draft directive to establish an interagency working group for export control. The group will work to implement the new law, create the regulatory and legal framework required to establish an export control system in the Kyrgyz Republic, and draft the national export control list.
Source:
Marat Usupov, "Export Control Law Adopted in Kyrgyzstan," NIS Export Control Observer, March 2003, CNS website, <http://www.cns.miis.edu/
pubs/nisexcon/index.htm>. {Entered 17 April 2003 KB}

12 November 2002: U.S. DONATES VEHICLES TO IMPROVE BORDER CONTROL
On 12 November 2002, U.S. Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan John O'Keefe handed over 26 UAZ all-terrain vehicles to the Border Services and the Ministry of Ecology and Emergencies of Kyrgyzstan. Fifteen vehicles went to Kyrgyzstan's remote frontier posts. In 2002 the U.S. government transferred $80 million dollars to Kyrgyzstan to improve its border security. In addition, the U.S. government is planning to donate two helicopters to the Border Services.[1] According to the U.S. Department of State FY 2002 report, $95 million was budgeted by all U.S. Government agencies for assistance programs in the Kyrgyz Republic. The $80 million figure is part of the State Department's Export Control and Border Security program (EXBS), which works to strengthen export controls in Central Asia, specifically concentrating on border security to prevent illicit trafficking of weapons of mass destruction, arms, and other illegal materials. The assistance includes equipment and infrastructure support to border and security forces of Kyrgyzstan.
Source:
Kyrgyz Television 1, 12 November 2002; in "Kyrgyzstan: US donates vehicles to improve border control," FBIS Document CEP20021112000365. {Entered 13 February 2003 AI}

29 October 2002: ADB ASSISTANCE TO KYRGYZSTANI CUSTOMS
On 29 October 2002, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a $15 million loan and $500,000 in technical assistance to improve customs services in the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. These funds are part of a larger $28 million package allocated to assist customs services in East and Central Asia. The funds are to be used to improve customs services by strengthening coordination and regional cooperation between countries of Central Asia and their neighbors, as well as developing a stronger institutional capacity and operational efficiency to prevent illegal trafficking of drugs, money, and other sensitive materials. The technical assistance grant will evaluate the need for modernization of the customs services in Kyrgyzstan. The loan is allocated for a 24-year period.
Source:
"Promoting Customs Cooperation and Trade in East and Central Asia," Asian Development Bank News Release, ADB website, http://www.adb.org/Documents/
News/2002/nr2002200.asp, No. 200/02, 29 October 2002. {Entered 12 February 2003 AI}

24 April 2001: MULTILATERAL TRANSIT AGREEMENT DISCUSSED
Representatives of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan met at the Fifth International Forum on Export Controls and Nonproliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction for the Caucasus and Central Asia in Bishkek on 24-26 April 2001. The purpose of the forum was to discuss and finalize a transit agreement that aims to harmonize the export control procedures of the participating countries in order to facilitate the transit of authorized goods between these countries and to prevent unauthorized shipments. The agreement was not finalized during the forum; ensuing discussions centered around the need for participants to agree upon a common definition of "transit," and to coordinate control lists and transit forms. Participants also cited the lack of national export control regulations and the lack of financial and technical resources as barriers to implementing such an agreement.
Source:
Center for Nonproliferation Studies NIS Representative Office Memo, 15 May 2001. {Entered 18 June 2001 KB}

2 February 2001: U.S. REVIEWS BORDER CONTROL PROGRAM IN KYRGYZSTAN
A group of U.S. experts headed by Kim Savit, the U.S. State Department's ambassador-at-large for security programs, visited Kyrgyzstan from 31 January to 2 February to discuss the $5.49 million U.S.-Kyrgyzstani program to strengthen export controls and border security in that country. The program is aimed at helping Kyrgyzstan fight terrorism and the smuggling of weapons of mass destruction, conventional weapons, and drugs. In 2000, the United States provided Kyrgyzstan with $2.99 million for equipment and training.
Source:
Kabar, 8 February 2001; in "US security experts discuss border security in Kyrgyzstan," FBIS Document CEP20010208000327.{Entered 16 May 2001 KB}

22 June 2000: MINATOM TO EQUIP KYRGYZSTAN'S BORDERS
On 22 June 2000 the Russian Ministry of Atomic Energy and the Kyrgyzstani Ministry of Defense signed an agreement under which Russia will rebuild Kyrgyzstan's border guard and control systems. Minatom enterprises, which were instrumental in developing the original Soviet-era border control system in Kyrgyzstan, will supply the equipment for at least 350km of Kyrgyzstan's border at a cost of about 1.2 million rubles ($43,000 as of 22 June 2000) per kilometer. A group of representatives from the United States was in Bishkek the same day to present its version for strengthening Kyrgyzstan's border control systems.[1] Kyrgyzstan will pay for the equipment by engaging in a trilateral venture in which Kazakhstani uranium slurry is to be processed by Kara-Balta Ore Mining Combine for use in Russian nuclear power plants.[2] Equipment to be provided by Minatom includes Vitim, Fara, and Gardina radar systems.[3]
Sources:
[1] Lyudmila Romanova, Nezavisimaya gazeta, 23 June 2000, p. 5; in "Russian Atomic Energy Ministry to 'Modernize' Kyrgyzstani Border," FBIS Document CEP20000623000115.
[2] Natalya Pereverten, "Moskva vozvrashchayetsya v Tsentralnuyu Aziyu," Nezavisimaya gazeta, 11 April 2001.
[3] Vladimir Kucherenko, "Kirgiziya vstupayet v uranovyy proyekt s Rossiyey," Rossiskaya gazeta, No. 242, 23 December 2000.{Entered 23 April 2001 KB}

4 December 1998: CABINET TIGHTENS IMPORT/EXPORT CONTROL
According to the Cabinet press service, Prime Minister Kubanychbek Zhumaliyev signed a Cabinet ordinance tightening export and import controls. The National Security and Internal Affairs Ministries, the Customs Committee, the Prosecutor General's office, and the tax inspectorate may deposit all of the confiscated proceeds from the sale of contraband into their accounts, provided appropriate procedures have been followed. These bodies may use the funds to purchase equipment or to encourage citizens to report smuggling. The Criminal Code will be amended and procedures and fees for the storage of confiscated goods will be revised. The aim of the ordinance is to better prevent smuggling, encourage citizen involvement in fighting it, protect the internal market, and provide incentives for law enforcement agencies.
Source:
Interfax, 4 December 1998, in "Kyrgyz Cabinet Tightens Import, Export Controls," FBIS-SOV-98-338. {Entered 28 March 2000 LBB}

July 1998: STATE CUSTOMS COMMITTEE INSPECTS AOZT URAN
In July 1998, the State Customs Committee drafted a report to the Prime Minister stating that radioactive cargo transported by the two affiliates of AO Kyrgyz Mining Kombinat--AOZT Uran and AOZT Molibden--had not been subjected to export controls before shipment. In 1997, Uran processed 772,631kg of uranium ore from Kazakhstan and shipped 425,018kg of uranium concentrate to Kazakhstan. The SCC suggested establishing a government commission to analyze Uran's operations. Customs authorities are taking the necessary steps to ensure that import and export control measures are properly observed and that theft of uranium concentrate is prevented.
Source:
Orozbek Moldaliyev, "New Developments in Kyrgyzstan's Export Controls," Nonproliferation, Demilitarization, and Arms Control, Fall 1998, p. 49. {Entered LBB 17 may 2000}

May 1998: PROTOCOL SIGNED ON FISSILE MATERIAL CONTROL
In May 1998, the CIS Customs Authority Council signed a protocol on cooperation to coordinate customs control of fissile materials. Kyrgyzstan is a signatory.
Source:
Orozbek Moldaliev, "New Developments in Kyrgyzstan's Export Controls," Nonproliferation, Demilitarization, and Arms Control, Fall 1998, p. 49. {Entered LBB 17 May 2000}

17 September 1997: U.S. OFFICIALS PREPARED TO ASSIST KYRGYZ BORDER SECURITY
Officials from the U.S. Customs Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation met in Bishkek with representatives from the Kyrgyz foreign, defense and national security ministries, and the Prosecutor General's Office to discuss assistance for Kyrgyz border control. The United States will give Kyrgyzstan financial aid to install detection equipment at customs checkpoints to prevent passage of nuclear materials and technologies. U.S. officials will also set up special courses to train Kyrgyz customs officials to check for materials and technology smuggling.
Source:
Interfax, 17 September 1997; in "US To Help Kyrgyzstan Prevent Export of Nuclear Technology," FBIS-TAC-97-260. {entered 29 January 1998 djw}

2 October 1996: KYRGYZSTAN’S BORDERS POSE NO OBSTACLE
According to press reports, Kyrgyzstani Interior Minister Omurbek Kuttuyev told a UN delegation in Bishkek that Kyrgyzstan has only one border post on its border with Kazakhstan and no tight border with Tajikistan; the frontier between Tajikistan and Afghanistan is virtually open. Ill-equipped Kyrgyzstani border patrols pose no serious obstacle to smugglers on the numerous passes through the Pamir Mountains.
Source:
Brian Killen, "Part of Ancient Silk Road Is Now Opium Road," Washington Post online edition, <http://www.washingtonpost.com/>, 3 October 1996. {Entered 4 October 1996 GB}

11 September 1996: CIS COUNTRIES' SPECIAL SERVICES MET IN VISCULI
The leaders of the security services of CIS countries met in Visculi, Belarus, to discuss ways of cooperating to combat organized crime and prevent the illegal circulation of drugs and arms contraband. This was the fourth conference of CIS security services; other meetings took place in Moscow in March 1995, Tbilisi in June 1995, and Dushanbe in April 1996.