Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-07-07-Speech-3-463"
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"en.20100707.31.3-463"2
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"Madam President, since we last discussed Kyrgyzstan in plenary on 20 April, further dramatic developments have unfolded in the country. In early June, the southern provinces of Kyrgyzstan witnessed a serious outburst of interethnic violence, which led to the tragic loss of hundreds of lives and many more injured, as well as hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons and refugees.
I look forward very much to hearing honourable Members’ views on this matter.
Over the past few weeks, the provisional government has struggled to restore control over a situation which ran the risk of spilling into outright civil war and regional destabilisation. In this critical context, the peaceful and orderly conduct of the constitutional referendum on 27 June came – as I mentioned in a statement on 28 June – as a welcome development towards the re-establishment of the constitutional order and democratic process in Kyrgyzstan. The remarkably high turnout and the overwhelming support for the constitutional reform demonstrate the resilience and desire for peace of the citizens of Kyrgyzstan.
The quick return of refugees from Uzbekistan and the relatively calm security situation currently prevailing throughout the country are encouraging signals. The remaining challenges, however, are considerable. As the country prepares for parliamentary elections in October and moves on towards further stabilisation, severe humanitarian needs, deep interethnic tensions and the weakness of institutions remain. Moreover, the political and economic situation of the country continues to be very fragile and violence could resume.
I am pleased that the European Union has been active throughout this crisis. We have followed the events closely from the very beginning, and the Foreign Affairs Council on 14 June discussed the situation only days after the first outburst of violence. It will revert to it again in July. The EU Special Representative, Ambassador Morel, has been twice to the country. He has had extensive discussions with the Kyrgyzstan authorities and other international stakeholders, including the UN and the OSCE. His team has been substantially strengthened to help him pursue his active role in this critical period.
In its response, the EU has not spared its diplomatic and humanitarian efforts. The Commission swiftly provided humanitarian aid. Commissioner Georgieva has just returned from the region, where she was able to take stock on delivery of aid and further needs on the ground. The Commissioner knows the area very well. I am delighted that she is with us for this debate. I pay tribute to the incredible work that she has done there and elsewhere.
We are also in the process of stepping up our efforts to support the stabilisation and democratisation processes initiated by the provisional government, notably by assisting in the preparation of the forthcoming parliamentary elections, strengthening key institutions and supporting interethnic reconciliation and civil society initiatives, as well as social stabilisation.
The emergence of a stable and democratic Kyrgyzstan in a hitherto authoritarian and unstable part of the world is a goal we are ready to support. As regards the security aspects and possible EU engagement, we are liaising actively with the UN and OSCE together with others. We are looking carefully into initiatives currently on the table, including the OSCE proposal for a police task force.
With respect to security, as for all other areas for EU engagement, our course of action has been that of close and constant coordination with the international community. We are in touch with the Kyrgyzstan authorities, as well as with the OSCE and UN, regarding the intention of Bishkek to set up a national commission to investigate the June events in the southern provinces. International experts and assistance have been requested.
Establishing the facts constitutes an indispensable preliminary step towards fighting impunity, encouraging reconciliation between communities and preventing such events from occurring again. We will therefore insist on the need to ensure the credibility and impartiality of any truth finding commission, be it of international or national character. We will support international efforts. In this regard, coordination with the OSCE and the UN is key."@en1
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