US government visa restrictions for Kyrgyzstan linked with lack of biometric passport

AKIPRESS.COM - The main reason that the United States government imposed visa restrictions on the Kyrgyz Republic is due to the lack of a safe, secure, biometric and electronic passport in compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards, U.S. Ambassador Donald Lu told AKIpress. The second criteria is about sharing of information about known and suspected terrorists. Years ago the U.S. government had a robust information exchange in the Kyrgyz Republic, but that cooperation largely disappeared during the Atambaev administration, the Ambassador said.
"Increased cooperation on counterterrorism between our two countries will make both our countries more secure," Ambassador Lu emphasized.
The other criteria include willingness to share criminal records and confirm the authenticity of travel documents; sharing exemplars of passports and ID cards; and monthly reporting of lost and stolen passports to INTERPOL.
Washington did not impose visa restrictions because of corruption concerns, the closure of the Manas Transit Center, or issues related to Kyrgyzstan's democracy, the Ambassador said.
"This decision was taken because of the lack of a secure, biometric Kyrgyz passport. This decision by Washington was meant to encourage Kyrgyzstan to adopt quickly secure passports for its citizens. The lack of a biometric passport is a more complex issue, but imperative to fulfilling international security standards and requirements. Washington will review Kyrgyzstan's progress after six months and lift the restrictions as soon as possible," the Ambassador said.