– The Secretary will visit Bishkek, Samarkand, Astana, Dushanbe, and Ashgabat to hold bilateral talks with high-ranking officials from each country’s government. This is Secretary John Kerry's first visit to Central Asia and the first visit by U.S. Secretaries of State to all five Central Asian republics during one trip, – the State Department reported.
The announcement also noted that John Kerry will participate in the opening of the new campus of the American University of Central Asia (Bishkek) and the U.S. Embassy building in Kyrgyzstan.
It should be noted that on October 31, American billionaire and founder of several charitable foundations George Soros will also visit Bishkek. He will deliver a welcoming speech at the opening of the new AUCA campus, which was built, in part, with Soros's funds. The well-known financier previously visited Bishkek last year. At that time, some Kyrgyz citizens perceived his visit as a threat to the development of Kyrgyz-Russian relations.
Regarding what the visit of the U.S. Secretary of State and the American billionaire might mean for Central Asia and Kyrgyzstan in particular, IA spoke with political scientist Bakyt Baketaev.
– Currently, the U.S. is paying a lot of attention to Central Asia. Americans are actively participating in the geopolitical game in this region. They have followers here who help promote U.S. policies, – Baketaev notes. – Speaking about Kyrgyzstan, Kerry's visit may be aimed at strengthening political relations, while Soros could reinforce them financially. Their arrival will undoubtedly invigorate "pro-Western" sentiments and serve as a reason for political battles aimed at dividing society.
According to the expert, Kerry and Soros have chosen a very favorable time for their visit to Central Asia, and they understand well that the imposition of sanctions on Russia significantly affects Central Asian countries, and therefore they can use sanctions as a tool to achieve their political goals.
– Given the freedom of speech in Kyrgyzstan and with the help of their supporters, they can complicate the political situation in the country. The U.S. acts very skillfully, and it would not be difficult for them to create a "wave" that could later turn into a tsunami that can be directed in the desired direction.