The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Kazakhstan's Secretary of State and Foreign Minister, Kanat Saudabayev, has voiced concern about events in Kyrgyzstan's southern Jalalabad region, which lead to casualties yesterday (two people were killed and 74 injured when gunfire broke out as ethnic Kyrgyz tried to storm a private university, which serves as a centre for the country's Uzbek minority).
"I urge all parties to refrain from violence, to do everything possible to avoid further confrontation and to solve problems on a basis of tolerance and compromise” said Mr Saudabayev. “Conflicts on ethnic grounds are especially unacceptable. Overcoming the crisis in Kyrgyzstan requires that public safety, the rule of law, peace and stability be ensured.”
Taking into account the difficult socio-economic situation in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev has decided that the temporary restrictions on the Kazakh-Kyrgyz state border (introduced on April 6th because of the crisis) will be lifted today (May 20th).
“The OSCE Centre in Bishkek actively participates in solving problems both in the north and south [of Kyrgyzstan] and is constantly monitoring the situation” said Mr Saudabayev.
In addition to Saudabayev, the OSCE Secretary General, Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President, Joao Soares, the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, Knut Vollebaek and other OSCE officials have all visited Kyrgyzstan recently to assist in settling the conflict.
In a telephone conversation yesterday (May 19th) with Roza Otunbayeva, the head of Kyrgyzstan's interim government, Mr Saudabayev expressed concern about the continued unrest and reiterated the OSCE’s readiness to help overcoming the crisis and to support the country's further constitutional development.
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