President of the United States Barack Obama received his Kyrgyz counterpart Roza Otunbayeva in the White House on Monday for talks on the democratic developments and economic issues in Kyrgyzstan.
"President Obama reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to support Kyrgyzstan's efforts to consolidate its democracy... President Obama and President Otunbayeva emphasized that building democracy is a daily struggle, and noted that Kyrgyzstan has taken positive steps so far to establish a parliamentary democracy and hold free and fair elections," a statement from the White House said.
Kyrgyzstan saw large-scale opposition riots in April last year that ousted President Kurmanbek Bakiyev and brought the opposition to power. The political situation in Kyrgyzstan stabilized after the country elected a new parliament and approved Otunbayeva, the former opposition leader, as president for a transitional period until 2012.
Obama also thanked Otunbayeva, who is currently on an official visit to the United States, for hosting the U.S. Transit Center and the Manas Airport and said his country "has taken steps to improve transparency about the Transit Center and payments connected to it, and pledged to maximize the benefits for the Kyrgyz people."
Kyrgyzstan hosts a U.S. transit center on the territory of Manas Airport in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek. The base serves as a major transit point for supplying troops in Afghanistan. It also hosts a fleet of coalition aerial tankers for fighters' refueling and surveillance aircraft used in Afghanistan.
U.S. National Security Advisor Tom Donilon, who also attended the meeting between the two presidents, congratulated Otunbayeva on the U.S. Secretary of State's annual Award for International Women of Courage, which will be awarded to her on Tuesday.
"He [Donilon] noted that her courage in leading Kyrgyzstan through a difficult transition to democracy provides hope for Central Asia and inspiration for people around the world who are pursuing their universal rights," the statement added.
The award, established in 2007 by then Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, pays tribute to women leaders worldwide, recognizing "the courage and leadership shown as they struggle for social justice and human rights."
WASHINGTON, March 8 (RIA Novosti)
