WASHINGTON, April 8, 2010, Asia-Plus   -- Maxim Bakiyev, the son of the Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, and  Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Kadyrbek Sarbayev are on the way to the United States, Deputy Secretary of State Philip Crowley remarked at a briefing at the Department of State on April 7.

According to him, annual bilateral consultations with Kyrgyzstan are scheduled for April 8.  “We have postponed those consultations for obvious reasons, but I expect that while the foreign minister is here, we’ll have some meetings with him here in Washington,” Mr. Crowley said.

Asked if he is sure that Maxim Bakiyev and Sarbayev are on the way to the United States and they have not turned around, Deputy Secretary of State said, “It’s a fair question.  As far as I know, they will arrive here and we expect probably we’ll have meetings with them while they’re here.”

In the meantime, in her telephone interview with Asia-Plus’ reporter, Kyrgyz Ambassador to the United States, Ms. Zamira Sadykova, did not confirm the information that Maxim Bakiyev arrived in Washington.  She refused to comment on the issue where the son of the Kyrgyz president is now, pleading lack of reliable information.  “Just like you, I am receiving information about that from Internet,” Ms. Sadykova said.

An investment forum timed to coincide with the annual United States-Kyrgyzstan bilateral consultations was supposed to open at the Washington Marriot Hotel today.  Maxim Bakiyev, Kyrgyzstan’s Central Agency for Development and Investments head and Assistant  Secretary of State Richard Blake were expected to take part in the forum’s work.  Kyrgyz opposition in the United States even planned to organize a picket outside the hotel building but at the last moment the forum was canceled.