Russia ready to provide help to Kyrgyzstan 'in all directions' — presidential envoy

Russian will provide Kyrgyzstan with assistance in various spheres to help improve the situation in the Central Asian republic hit by a new wave of unrest in the past few days, the newly appointed Russian presidential envoy to Kyrgyzstan has said.

"Our goal is to provide assistance [to Kyrgyzstan] in all directions of the republic's life. We should work [first] and [then] we will announce results," Vladimir Rushailo said after a meeting with Kyrgyz interim Prime Minister Roza Otunbayeva on Friday.

The situation in Kyrgyzstan, where a bloody uprising led to the overthrow of the government in early April, worsened on Thursday when administrative buildings in three southern regions — deposed President Kurmanbek Bakiyev's former power base — were stormed by his supporters.

During their meeting, Rushailo and Otunbayeva discussed possible measures to improve the situation in Kyrgyzstan.

"We should overcome the deadlock, and Russia is ready to help us both politically and economically. Russia will be with us," Otunbayeva said after the meeting.

Zhanar Moldokulova, a spokeswoman for a pro-Bakiyev group, said on Friday that eight people had been killed in clashes between Bakiyev supporters and backers of the interim government in the city of Jalalabad.

The Kyrgyz Health Ministry said 63 had been hospitalized following the unrest, with 15 in serious condition. It said one person had died after being hospitalized.

The Kremlin said on Thursday that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev had appointed Rushailo, his special representative to the Central Asian state. Rushailo, the first deputy head of the judicial committee at the Russian parliament's upper house, was interior minister in 1999-2001 and then Security Council secretary until 2004.

 

BISHKEK, May 15 (RIA Novosti)