Chairman-in-Office urges unity and offers OSCE support to Kyrgyzstan

BISHKEK, 31 March 2005 - During a full morning of meetings with key figures in the new Government of Kyrgyzstan, the OSCE Chairman, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, pledged the Organization's full support to help the country move towards greater stability, unity and democracy based on economic development.

Underlining the importance that the OSCE attaches to maintaining a democratic and stable Kyrgyzstan at the centre of Asia, he paid a quickly-arranged visit to the country on Thursday to bring himself up-to-date with the fast-moving situation.

He held separate talks with Kurmanbek Bakiyev, the new Prime Minister and acting President, Roza Otunbaeva, the Foreign Minister, and Omurbek Tekebaev, Speaker of the newly-elected Parliament. These talks were preceded by an hour-long meeting with Felix Kulov, leader of the Ar-Namys (Dignity) Party.

Minister Rupel said the OSCE should continue to be actively engaged with the new authorities at all levels. Praising the work of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek under its Head Markus Mueller, he said the Centre would need to re-evaluate its programme for 2005 in view of the changed situation.

"However, thanks to the fact that the OSCE has this established presence on the ground, we have already fulfilled a unique role on behalf of the international community. By maintaining channels of communication, offering a neutral platform and being prepared at any time to mediate, I believe we have played a full part in avoiding a descent into chaos," he said.

To assist in mediating a peaceful resolution of the political crisis in Kyrgyzstan that followed the second round of parliamentary elections on 13 March, the Chairman-in-Office sent both his Special Representative on Central Asia, Alojz Peterle, and the Secretary General of the OSCE, Jan Kubis, during the past week.

"The OSCE is now well-positioned to support the international effort to help Kyrgyzstan. It should continue to establish a sound working relationship with the new authorities, including Parliament, and offer assistance as befits the new priorities," he said.

"All OSCE participating States have a clear interest in improving security and stability in a transitional state that lies at the heart of its Central Asian region and the key role that we have been playing so far is precisely what the OSCE was created to do."

In the Chairman's view, the OSCE should now be free to concentrate its efforts on several priority areas in Kyrgyzstan: promoting unity between the various sides, political parties and the northern and southern halves of the country; offering further support to the development of democratic institutions including an independent, pluralistic media; and continuing its activities in the field of good governance, as well as capacity-building in several key areas.

"The people's revolution in Kyrgyzstan has not passed without casualties, nor has it been devoid of violence and looting. Nevertheless, the country now has a new Government that must think first of improving security and stability. So our joint focus must now turn from the events of last week to the months ahead, running up to the presidential election set for 26 June," he said.

The OSCE should provide all necessary assistance to enable a transparent, free and fair democratic process offering a real choice to the electorate, he stressed. The Organization would again, if invited, prepare an election observation mission and provide its advice to the authorities with respect to the necessary changes in the Election Code, based on the recent balanced and objective observation of the parliamentary elections.

He urged inclusivity during this interim political period and stressed that security was a pre-condition, not only for political stability, but also for economic recovery leading to eventual prosperity.

In a meeting at the OSCE Academy in Bishkek with representatives of civil society in Kyrgyzstan, the Chairman-in-Office also gave assurances that the Centre would continue its co-operation with non-governmental organizations, including on the area of human rights, as well as taking a proactive approach to strengthening democracy.