UN chief pledges continued support for Kyrgyz recovery

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today assured the President of Kyrgyzstan of the continued support of the United Nations for rehabilitation, recovery and reconciliation in the Central Asian nation in the wake of the crisis that erupted earlier this year.

Kyrgyzstan witnessed a violent uprising in April that ousted former president Kurmanbek Bakiyev. That was followed by deadly clashes in the southern part of the country in June between Kyrgyz and ethnic Uzbeks which uprooted nearly 400,000 people and sent many fleeing to neighbouring Uzbekistan.

Mr. Ban and Rosa Otunbaeva discussed the political situation in the country and the upcoming parliamentary elections, when they met at UN Headquarters on the margins of the annual high-level General Debate of the General Assembly.

They agreed on the importance of an inclusive and transparent vote for the stabilization and long-term development of the country, according to Mr. Ban’s spokesperson.

They also discussed the status of an international commission of inquiry into the June violence.