President Askar Akaev lauded his country\'s achievements at a 30 August ceremony in Bishkek on the eve of Kyrgyzstan\'s Independence Day. \"We live as free people in a free country and serve for the world as an example of the peaceful coexistence of dozens of ethnic groups, various cultures, and religions,\" Akaev said. He announced that his country\'s main achievement since gaining its independence on 31 August 1991 is that it has taken shape as an independent state and that its people have become a self-sufficient nation. Akaev also called attention to an ongoing social mobilization campaign to improve the rural infrastructure and reduce poverty. (akipress.org)