Kyrgyzstan

Esteemed Madam President,

Esteemed Mr. Secretary-General,

Esteemed heads of delegations, ladies and gentlemen,

Allow me to sincerely congratulate Ms. Annalena Baerbock on her election as President of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, and to wish her success in her work.

This year we mark the 80th anniversary of the United Nations — a unique institution that has stood guard over peace, security and development for nearly a century.

Over these 80 years, despite numerous conflicts, fortunately, the world has not witnessed a Third World War.

And in this, undoubtedly, lies the key merit of the United Nations.

The Organization has become not only an international platform for dialogue, but has also played a special role in preventing global conflicts.

Today the trends of regionalism in world politics are intensifying.

Rising prices, liquidity shortages, and a "war" of sanctions in the economy continue.

The threat of terrorism and extremism has engulfed all countries.

Despite criticism, the United Nations remains the only universal organization possessing moral authority and institutional potential.

Today we take pride in the political stability achieved and the ongoing socio-economic transformations in our country.

This was difficult.

We paid a high PRICE for freedom and independence.

But I can confidently say: Kyrgyzstan has established itself as a state!

This achievement allows us to set ambitious goals for the future.

International organizations, including the UN, recognize Kyrgyzstan as one of the freest and most stable states on the Eurasian continent with a strong civil society.

The large-scale and irreversible fight against corruption and crime is a priority direction of Kyrgyzstan's state policy!

Today we face the task of political modernization and economic development in line with the demands of tomorrow.

We have set the task of improving the investment climate, and have begun building an information society and fair, transparent public governance.

Ladies and gentlemen!

Every year in New York, leaders of all the world's states gather to remind themselves and each other of the great mission for which the Organization was created.

I too have come to New York with this mission.

Today my diplomats prepared a polite text, taking into account the international diplomatic situation.

However, this year, taking this high podium, I decided not to speak as a diplomat.

This year I would like to speak from this podium not only as a head of state, but as an ordinary person, as an ordinary citizen of my country, openly expressing my true opinion and concerns about international events occurring in the world.

This year is the fourth time I have spoken at the UN General Assembly.

For three years in a row I came here and spoke pleasant, beautiful words.

Today, however, I have decided to speak openly and directly about the problems troubling the hearts of millions of people.

In various corners of the world — in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia — new armed conflicts and wars are flaring up.

Millions of people are losing their homes, forced to leave their native lands. Millions are becoming victims.

Who suffers the most? First and foremost — ordinary people!

We cannot close our eyes to the suffering of many peoples: of Palestine, Ukraine, Sudan, Syria and others, where military actions continue, civilians are dying, and human rights are being violated.

The world community, applying double standards, prioritizes these conflicts as "more or less important," taking into account its own geopolitical interests.

The conflict in Ukraine has been going on for almost four years now; people are dying and fleeing the country.

We support the efforts of US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to find a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine.

We are interested in this!

Because we too suffer from the consequences of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

Unilateral sanctions have a negative impact on us as well — a country that is only just getting on its feet.

Kyrgyzstan is making every effort to independently strengthen its economy.

Therefore we regard unjustified sanctions as interference in the internal affairs of our country and as pressure that hinders the development of our still-forming economy.

I have always said, and I repeat once again: Kyrgyzstan has strictly fulfilled and will continue to fulfill its international obligations.

However, we cannot sacrifice the interests of our citizens and the economic development of the country!

The sanctions imposed on Kyrgyzstan are based on false information spread by certain non-governmental organizations and unscrupulous individuals.

We are ready to accept independent international audits for a thorough review of the activities of Kyrgyzstan's banks.

In 2024, the countries of the European Union conducted trade with Russia amounting to 141 billion dollars, of which 36 billion came from imports from Russia.

And Great Britain, which imposed sanctions against two of our banks, in that same year conducted trade with Russia amounting to 2.2 billion dollars.

Frankly speaking, some reserve for themselves the possibility of cooperating with Russia, defending their own interests, while forbidding it to others.

How should this be called? There is a saying: "Before demanding something of others, be an example yourself."

You demand that we not cooperate with Russia, while you yourselves actively develop trade and economic ties with it.

We are connected to Russia by far more economic ties than you are.

Therefore, in economic terms, we cannot abandon cooperation with Russia.

We do not seek confrontation with others. We cooperate with practically the entire world, pursuing a multi-vector policy.

For example, we sell gold to England alone worth 1 billion dollars every year.

My primary duty as President of the country is to ensure the security of my citizens and country, and to improve their economic situation.

We oppose the politicization of economic cooperation and trade.

Therefore we demand the lifting of sanctions on our two banks.

Esteemed ladies and gentlemen!

The UN Secretary-General has already described the Gaza Strip as "a graveyard for thousands of children"!

What more is needed to stop the war and the horrifying events in Gaza?

We must empathize with the Palestinian people, who have suffered enormous losses as a result of the inhumane conflict in the Gaza Strip.

We must not remain indifferent to the human tragedy unfolding before the eyes of the entire world.

We demand an end to the genocide against Palestinians and the start of an international judicial investigation by the International Court of Justice of the UN!

My country always firmly condemns violence and terrorism in all its manifestations, including the terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.

Such terrorists should be punished harshly.

However, the fight against terrorism, the methods of eliminating terrorists, have their own techniques and procedures.

It is precisely these methods that should be used.

Because of the actions of such terrorists, millions of ordinary citizens should not die.

Why do we allow the mass deaths of ordinary people and innocent children — by the hundreds of thousands?

The only way to establish lasting peace is to implement the principle of "Two states for two peoples."

Palestine must gain independence based on the 1967 borders.

We also condemn the recent missile strikes on the territories of Qatar and Iran, since such attacks constitute an encroachment on the sovereignty of independent states, create a threat to regional stability and security, and contradict the norms of international law.

The fight against terrorism and modern threats in Gaza, Iran, Lebanon and other regions must be proportionate to their scale and nature; civilians, women and children should not suffer and sacrifice their lives.

Esteemed ladies and gentlemen!

As a neighboring country, Kyrgyzstan considers it important, in the current difficult conditions, to provide comprehensive support to the Afghan people, integrating Afghanistan's economy into regional and global economic processes.

Isolating Afghanistan internationally and depriving it of foreign aid is wrong. It is unjust.

We believe that using financial instruments for geopolitical and ideological gain to worsen the humanitarian crisis is a manifestation of injustice and inhumanity.

Therefore we are convinced that Afghanistan's assets, frozen by Western countries, amounting to more than 9 billion US dollars, should be returned to the Afghan people as soon as possible.

These funds could contribute to rebuilding infrastructure, expanding access to credit through local banks, developing agriculture, and creating new opportunities for the millions of people living in poverty.

You are using these funds and profiting from them.

This is a disgrace for you.

According to United Nations data, in 2025, 15 million people in Afghanistan faced hunger, and 24 million are in need of humanitarian assistance.

As is well known, in early September, more than 2,000 of our Afghan compatriots died as a result of an earthquake.

Unfortunately, due to a lack of financial resources and weak infrastructure, the victims did not receive timely assistance.

We call on the leaders of Western countries to immediately return these assets for the sake of the future of the Afghan people.

If you truly want the Afghan people to escape poverty and hunger as soon as possible — return them without delay.

Only then will your words about human rights and interstate obligations correspond to your deeds!

Esteemed participants,

Today's challenges in African countries — from conflicts to food insecurity — require not sympathy in words, but solidarity in action.

Africa is 54 countries with a population of more than 1.5 billion people; it is the second-largest continent after Eurasia.

Africa possesses enormous reserves of resources, and we are confident that in the near future Africa's role in the world economy and international politics will increase several times over.

Therefore, Africa's colossal natural wealth should serve the accelerated development of the continent itself and the satisfaction of its own interests.

The work of UN peacekeeping activities must be strengthened.

My country began sending its peacekeepers on UN missions at the dawn of its independence, in the early 1990s.

This once again proves that we sincerely wish to contribute to strengthening peace and security in the world.

A state's contribution should not be determined by its size, but by the depth of its commitment and sincere desire for peace and solidarity.

We support the strengthening of international treaties, including the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

It is important to raise the younger generation toward a world without nuclear weapons!

It is important to raise the awareness of the younger generation about the destructive consequences of the use of weapons of mass destruction.

The International Day of Education for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation, initiated by the Kyrgyz side and supported by UN member states, is an excellent platform for implementing this concept.

Kyrgyzstan is one of the initiators and the depositary of the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia.

We have joined all the fundamental international documents on disarmament and non-proliferation, including the NPT and the CTBT.

In accordance with the principle of consistency, this year the Kyrgyz Republic made the political decision to sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

We are firmly convinced that our planet should exist without nuclear weapons — this invention of humanity should be used exclusively for peaceful purposes!

Ladies and gentlemen,

For sustainable development and regional integration, the countries of Central Asia need equal dialogue and active cooperation.

Despite complex historical and geographical circumstances, Kyrgyzstan has peacefully settled its border issues with neighboring countries, in particular with Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

This process was accompanied by lengthy negotiations at the highest level and at the level of experts, and was resolved with respect for the interests of all sides.

I can confidently note that today the borders between Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are borders of friendship, trade and cooperation.

This experience confirms: peace is possible where there is political will, respect and dialogue, which allowed us to resolve all existing contradictions and embark on a path of creation and development.

Kyrgyzstan is ready to share its experience of resolving complex issues with the world community.

Let us use the more than 3 trillion dollars spent annually on armaments worldwide to improve people's lives, eliminate hunger, protect our environment, and clean the air.

For there are no borders to breathing air.

We all breathe the same air.

Therefore I call for us to live not in a race over who has stronger weapons, but in a competition over which country has cleaner nature and air.

Dear friends,

Climate change is a reality we are witnessing today.

We face threats of drought, melting glaciers, and changes to ecosystems and biodiversity.

Kyrgyzstan is a mountainous country, particularly vulnerable to these changes.

We already feel the threat of shrinking water resources and risks to agriculture and biodiversity.

Although Kyrgyzstan has no access to the sea, it actively participates in international environmental initiatives and can play a significant role in supporting agreements aimed at protecting global ecosystems.

The Kyrgyz Republic consistently advocates for recognizing the interconnectedness of natural systems — "from mountains to ocean" — which are two poles of a single system.

Because the future of the oceans begins at the summits.

In this context, we ratified the Agreement on Biological Diversity (BBNJ) and became one of the first more than 60 states to join it.

The rivers that support marine and coastal ecosystems originate in the mountains.

Therefore, protecting mountain ecosystems and sustainable watershed management are directly linked to the oceans.

The country is now preparing the Second Bishkek+25 Summit, planned for 2027, as a central platform for states, international organizations, and experts on the sustainable development of mountain territories.

We invite all of you to take an active part in this event.

Dear friends,

As UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld once said: "The United Nations was not created to bring humanity to heaven, but rather to save humanity from hell."

Today these words are more relevant than ever. The Organization was born from the horrors of war, but it lives thanks to faith in cooperation, dialogue and respect.

Today, more than ever, it is important to preserve and develop the system of multilateralism — as a shield against anarchy and unilateral decisions.

The need has arisen to form fundamentally new international mechanisms adequate to modern challenges and threats.

Our Organization needs change, and this is already a demand of the times, of current realities.

In this context, we support the Secretary-General's efforts to reform the UN system called "UN-80."

It is also time to improve and reform the work of the UN Security Council.

Currently, the 15 members of the UN Security Council effectively decide the fates of all the world's states.

Questions of war and peace, security and stability, depend on their reaching a consolidated position.

Moreover, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council can always block any decision.

Kyrgyzstan advocates for the adoption of necessary measures to improve the UN Security Council that will take into account the interests of the vast majority of states.

In this regard, it is important to reach a compromise solution as soon as possible on all issues of UN Security Council reform.

This reform should be based on the principles of universality, broad geographic representation, and should have broad support from UN member states.

Kyrgyzstan considers it legitimate and fair to expand African states' right to membership in the Security Council and efforts to eliminate the historical imbalance.

More than 60 member states, including Kyrgyzstan, have never been elected to the Security Council, while some countries have been elected five or six times.

Esteemed members of delegations,

Kyrgyzstan strives to make its own feasible contribution to ensuring peace, global security and sustainable development.

With the aim of drawing the UN's and the world's attention to the problems of small states, Kyrgyzstan has put forward its candidacy for non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council for the period 2027-2028.

Supporting countries that have not previously been elected to the UN Security Council will give confidence in the equality of members and thereby raise the authority of the Organization and strengthen trust in it.

We sincerely believe in the principle of fairness; I ask UN member states to support us in the elections next June.

Every country should have the opportunity to be a member of the Council, and to contribute to the cause of maintaining peace and security.

I can confidently say that Kyrgyzstan is among the states that have the experience to raise significant issues in the Security Council.

We will clearly defend international law, justice, the protection of people's rights, and will strengthen the multilateral system based on mutual respect, balance of interests, and responsibility to future generations.

Esteemed ladies and gentlemen,

Our challenges are shared, and our responses must be in solidarity.

It is necessary that our words correspond to our deeds.

We cannot afford inaction.

The world requires effort.

The future of our planet is our common responsibility.

Thank you for your attention!