Very timely congress

Kirghiz throughout Russia are uniting

Yesterday the first congress of Kyrgyz living in Russia took place in Moscow. The efforts of its organizers - the Embassy of Kyrgyzstan in Moscow and the State Committee of Kyrgyzstan on Migration and Employment - were appreciated by the main Kremlin curator of the CIS, the head of the department of the Russian Presidential Administration for interregional and cultural relations with foreign countries, Modest Kolerov: “I pay tribute to the reaction of the Kyrgyz people to those innovations in Russian politics regarding the attitude towards immigrants from the former USSR - you were the first to react!” The official was referring to the amendments to the law “On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in the Russian Federation” coming into force on January 15, 2007, which, in particular, increases the period of temporary stay of a foreign citizen on the territory of Russia to 180 days.

Mr. Kolerov, assuring labor migrants from Kyrgyzstan of the desire of the Russian authorities to ensure the fullness of their rights, called on the congress participants to do everything to ensure that their compatriots are legalized in Russia. Otherwise, if they “remain in the shadow of the law,” the Kremlin spokesman warned, it will be difficult to protect them from racketeering and criminal disputes. Modest Kolerov promised support for Bishkek’s efforts to establish a branch of the Russian-Kyrgyz Slavic University in Mytishchi near Moscow. Secretary of State of Kyrgyzstan Adakhan Madumarov spoke about this idea at the congress. According to him, this will allow student migrant workers to save money by avoiding traveling to Bishkek for the exam session.

Mr. Madumarov spoke about the plans of the Kyrgyz leadership to open a Central Asian center for studying the Russian language in Bishkek next year and to hold a scientific and practical conference with an invitation to President Putin and the First Lady of Russia Lyudmila Putin, who is patronizing this topic.

The Ambassador of Kyrgyzstan in Moscow, ex-Prime Minister Apas Dzhumagulov, cited figures characterizing the importance for the economy of his country of the funds received by guest workers in Russia. In 2005, they transferred about $400 million to their homeland, and in the first nine months of this year - already $350 million. Mr. Dzhumagulov called on compatriots working in Russia “not to enter into conflicts here, to be tolerant and tolerant, to respect customs and traditions of the Russian people."

Perhaps the most valuable “useful tips” are set out in a memo prepared by the Kyrgyz embassy and the Committee on Migration and Employment for people traveling from Kyrgyzstan to Russia. Among other things, it sets out in detail the rules of conduct in the event of illegal detention by Russian police officers: “You must simply be in the premises of the police station, and not behind bars in a “monkey barn”, your personal belongings are not confiscated, you still have a mobile phone, and you can make the right call."

Arkady DUBNOV