Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-07-07-Speech-3-486"
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"Madam President, I would like to thank honourable Members for the very useful direction that you have provided for us in your speeches tonight.
Let me touch upon four points that have been raised. First, a number of Members talked about the importance of the referendum and the right judgment that was made. I would like to elaborate on that by praising Baroness Ashton and Ambassador Morel because the EU in fact – and I learned this in Bishkek – was instrumental in gathering international support to keep the date of the referendum as it was. That was the right judgment because it boosted the legitimacy of the government substantially and it also served as a magnet to refugees to return.
That takes me to my second point – the situation on the other side of the border. Almost the only people on the other side of the border in Uzbekistan are those who needed medical attention. The vast majority of those who crossed the border did return, although – as has been said – there is still a fear of events unfolding at too critical a time. When 40 days from the massacres have passed and mourning is over, there is fear that around 15 to 20 July, there could be a return of violence, as well as when the country gets ready for the elections prior to 10 October.
That takes me to my third point. I would just like to share with you that President Otunbayeva praised President Karimov of Uzbekistan for his appropriate reaction and for the support that they have received from their neighbour in suppressing violence. But, having said that, President Otunbayeva continues to call on us – on Europe – for support in the days ahead because of her worry that democracy may be struggling in Kyrgyzstan.
Let me finish with a point related to priorities and how we move forward. The country will need help. It is a poor country. I used to work there in the 1990s and I can see how much progress has been made on democracy and how the country still has a long way to go on development. It is of concern that some of the donors – including some European donors – have been in the process of actually reducing their programmes. I just want to share with this House that it is the wrong time to decrease support for development in Kyrgyzstan. We will, of course, convey from the Commission to the donor community that, in our judgment, this is now the wrong time to reduce support.
Kyrgyzstan is, to a great extent, a clan society, and the pursuit of parliamentary democracy there is not going to be easy. Mrs Otunbayeva is a brave woman who, during her inauguration, which I was honoured to attend, turned to us and said that she would have a short run as President. She pledged to step down at the end of 2011 but promised that it would be a substantive run and asked us to help her to achieve this.
I think she deserves this help and that, if we stand by her, there will be a fair chance for this country to leap forward – for its people, but also for stability in this region that would benefit all of us."@en1
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