Bagdasarov: I am astonished to hear Lukashenka speaking about “poor” Bakiyev

“The Bakiyevs lived on drug trafficking,” Semyon Bagdasarov, a member of the Russian Duma’s international affairs committee, said.

The politician gave an interview to 24.kg news agency.

– In your view, how can the conflict in Southern Kyrgyzstan end?

– It ends either with stabilization or with spreading to the nearby countries. The second scenario shouldn’t be allowed. Some 12 million people live in Fergana.

If such events in Kyrgyzstan go on, breakup of the state is more than possible. Unfortunately, this process can affect other states of the Central Asia.

– More and more opinions on involvement of former president Kurmanbek Bakiyev’s family in the events in the south appear. Do you think his family members really bear any relation to the conflicts in Osh and Jalalabad?

– Yes, I think it was the Bakiyevs. As far as I know (I have contacts with the south of Kyrgyzstan) the main operator of the events is Zhanybek Bakiyev, brother of the former president. He didn’t leave the south of the country, as it was supposed earlier, but remained near Batken. It’s no need to explain what the territory it is. It is known for drug trafficking and terrorism. He has enough power. He unites his employees and certain citizens of other states. I won’t be surprised if they turn out to from Afghanistan.

The Bakiyevs failed to stir up confrontation between the north and the south of the republic, so they placed stake on the Kyrgyz-Uzbek relations. Unfortunately, it was a very successful operation.

– At the same time, some politicians and experts in Kyrgyzstan speak about a certain connection between the events in the south and geopolitical game of big states. Can the third, external force, be involved in the conflict?

– I don’t think other countries support the Bakiyevs. I suppose there’s no such a state that will need unstable situation in Fergana. The US got bogged down in Afghanistan, so the country is unlikely to be interested in another trouble spot.

– Should Russia bring peacekeeping forces into Kyrgyzstan, as it was asked by the people and the interim government of the republic?

– I think to solve the problems of Kyrgyzstan, Russia should not bring troops, but send special task squads to catch Zhanybek Bakiyev, help to extradite Maksim Bakiyev detained in the UK and make Lukashenka give Kurmanbek Bakiyev to justice.

I am astonished to hear Lukashenka speaking about “poor” Bakiyev. He wonders what one can take from poor Kyrgyzstan. But the Bakiyevs lived on drug trafficking. The Russian marker of Afghan heroin is estimated at $14.5 billion. Kyrgyzstan held 70 percent of the traffic. The UN called Kyrgyzstan a transit state in its report. In spite of this fact, Kurmanbek Bakiyev closed the drug control agency. Drug dealing was one of the main income sources for the family of the former president.

The second source was plunder of loans. For instance, the Kyrgyz president’s family took at least $100 million of Russia’s credit. They made profit from everything. They also resold fuel given by Russia. Kurmanbek Bakiyev and his family members must be extradited to Kyrgyzstan. If this is done, all events shaking the country will end. That is what must be done certainly.