Preventing escalation of violence and helping people on the ground key to international actors' efforts in Kyrgyzstan, says OSCE Special Envoy

BISHKEK, 15 June 2010 - Stopping the violence, preventing the escalation of tensions, helping to alleviate the humanitarian situation and laying the groundwork for post-conflict rehabilitation are priorities for the international community's work to help contain the crisis in Kyrgyzstan, said Zhanybek Karibzhanov, the Special Envoy of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office today.

Speaking at a joint news briefing in Bishkek with the United Nations Secretary General's Special Representative Miroslav Jenca and the European Union representative, Ambassador of Germany to Kyrgyzstan Holger Green, Karibzhanov said that their task has been to assess the situation and "the scale of the tragedy" on the ground, and to develop concrete measures to stabilize the situation.

Karibzhanov said that despite the work carried out by the interim government of Kyrgyzstan to restore stability in the whole of the country, "the situation is very vulnerable and could seriously regress".

During his visit, Karibzhanov met Roza Otunbaeva, President of the Interim Government of Kyrgyzstan; Alik Orozov, the Secretary of the Security Council; Keneshbek Duishebaev, the Acting Minister of the State Service for National Security ; Bolot Sherniyazov, the Acting Interior Minister; the Ambassadors of France, Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation and the United States; and representatives of civil society.

"We discussed in the first place ways to stop the violence, stabilize the situation and prevent the spill-over of the conflict to other territories, as well as matters related to ensuring the inalienable rights of people - above all, the right to life," Karibzhanov said.

"Other important questions include the humanitarian situation in the zone of the conflict, which has deteriorated greatly, and the problem of refugees who require serious help and attention."

Prospects for co-operation on post-conflict rehabilitation have also been discussed, Karibzhanov told reporters: "Similar to what happened in the 1990's, the difficult socio-economic situation of the people has been a serious trigger of the events this year. This is why our steps towards post-conflict rehabilitation are as important as our efforts to stop the violence. We need to be thinking already today what to do further in order to ensure that these events are not repeated again."

Karibzhanov, who was dispatched by the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, State Secretary and Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Kanat Saudabayev on 12 June, is working in close co-operation with the UN and the EU Special Representatives.

The 56 OSCE participating States offered to build on assistance to resolve the crisis in a statement adopted at a special session of the Permanent Council in Vienna today.