Central Asian leaders hold talks on peace and security issues with Secretary-General

The recent tensions in Kyrgyzstan, where inter-ethnic fighting earlier this year displaced more than a million people, were the focus of talks today between Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the President of Uzbekistan.

Mr. Ban and Islam Karimov discussed the humanitarian situation in Kyrgyzstan, which neighbours Uzbekistan, as well as “the importance of international partnership in ensuring stability and long-term development in Kyrgyzstan,” according to information released by the Secretary-General’s spokesperson.

Many people were killed in the April clashes between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks, and United Nations aid agencies have since warned that without an injection of funding from donors, the humanitarian needs of people displaced by the unrest will go unmet.

During their talks today at UN Headquarters in New York, Mr. Ban and Mr. Karimov also discussed wider issues affected Central Asian peace and security, particularly terrorism and the illegal drug trade.

Peace and security was also the focus of a separate meeting between Mr. Ban and Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, President of Turkmenistan, which hosts the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia in its capital, Ashgabat.

The two officials discussed the recent regional disarmament conference that was also held in Ashgabat, as well as conditions in Afghanistan and the importance of stable and reliable transit of energy.