R. Otunbayeva: A 20 Year Multivector Foreign Policy was the Correct Decision
May 7, 2013, 06:00
“A 20 year multivector foreign policy is not bad, it was the right decision,” said Ex-President Roza Otunbayeva in a speech to the “Development of the Kyrgyz Republic’s Foreign Policy in the Years of Independence” conference in Bishkek.
Ms. Otunbayeva noted that today the biggest question facing foreign policy today is its multivector nature. “Our nation became open and we began to work with many countries. Should we should have sat on the side of one country and thought that we could do nothing without them?” she said.
According to her, Kyrgyzstan must cooperate with both West and East. As she said, 20 years is too short on a historical scale. It is but a small historical fragment. “Yes, we have many critics, and these critics are very subjective and cynical. They also pursue their own interests,” Ms. Otunbayeva said. “We as a government acted properly. We defend our own national interests.”
The Ex-President added that Kyrgyzstan currently is unable to open embassies in many nations such as, for example, Latin America or Africa.