Foreign Ministry of Ukraine summons Kyrgyz ambassador

A Kyrgyzstani official has given an explanation for the situation with drones / Photo: wikimedia commons and instagram.com/idris_kadyrkulov

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine summoned Idris Kadyrkulov, Kyrgyz Ambassador to Ukraine and asked him to explain the information about Kyrgyzstani export of dual-use goods to Russia.

What happened? According to the official website of the Ukrainian MFA, the Kyrgyz diplomat was asked to explain how dual-use goods from Kyrgyzstan had been on their way to Russia.

The ministry highlighted that as a member of the international community Kyrgyzstan should comply with international sanctions.

Moreover, officials in Kyiv said that any re-export by Kyrgyzstan of goods that may be used for military purposes in Russia «will be reviewed by Ukraine as hostile actions aimed at supporting illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine.»

What followed the case? On July 20, the U.S. Ministry of Treasury imposed sanctions against four Kyrgyzstani companies: RM Design and Development, GTME Technologii, Progress Leader and Cargoline. According to U.S. authorities, these companies were involved in the illicit export of electronic components and other technologies to Russia, which used at least part of these goods in its defense sector.

The official stance of Kyrgyzstan. The State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan said that neither the country’s government nor its agencies were involved in the breaching of sanctions. However, some private companies from Kyrgyzstan might have done this. As a result, the committee has launched an investigation into the case.

On July 19, The Washington Post reported that the U.S. was thinking about imposing sanctions on Kyrgyzstan due to the situation with the illegal supply of drones to Russia. The outlet also reported that the amount of exports from Kyrgyzstan to Russia was suspiciously big and diverse in 2022. For example, Kyrgyzstan has never exported goods like optical sights to Russia before the international sanctions that followed its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

In turn, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan stated that the country is doing everything possible to avoid secondary sanctions. The country doesn’t export military goods to Russia and requires certification for dual-use goods.