OSCE Permanent Council approves deployment 'without delay' of police advisors to Kyrgyzstan

VIENNA, 22 July 2010 - The 56 OSCE participating States agreed the deployment of police advisors to Kyrgyzstan in a decision taken by the Permanent Council in Vienna today.

According to the decision, the Police Advisory Group will assist Kyrgyzstan in reducing inter-ethnic tensions and strengthening the capacities of the territorial units of the Ministry of the Interior of the Kyrgyz Republic.

"Kazakhstan's OSCE Chairmanship welcomes the decision of the participating States to deploy without delay a Police Advisory Group and thus enhance the OSCE's continuing work with Kyrgyzstan to resolve the current crisis, prevent the spillover of tensions in the region and promote post conflict rehabilitation," said the Chairperson of the OSCE Permanent Council, Ambassador of Kazakhstan Kairat Abdrakhmanov.

"The police advisors will play an important role in reassuring the people of Kyrgyzstan following the tragic events of recent months, and will further strengthen the capacities of the police and help in restoring public trust."

The initial deployment of the Police Advisory Group will be for four months from the start of the operation, and the mission could be extended with the agreement of Kyrgyzstan and the Permanent Council.

The agreement with Kyrgyzstan on the Police Advisory Group envisages sending an initial 52 international police officers to monitor and advise counterparts in the Kyrgyz police force, with a focus on southern Kyrgyzstan. They will be unarmed and have no executive police powers.

All 56 OSCE participating States may nominate candidates for the Police Advisory Group.