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Expert: Astana-Bishkek economic cooperation would facilitate stabilization of situation in Kyrgyzstan

Politics Materials 19 October 2010 18:11 (UTC +04:00)
The economic cooperation with Kazakhstan, the most stable and economically developed country in Central Asia, would facilitate the stabilization of the situation in Kyrgyzstan, Martha Brill Olcott, U.S famous expert on the region, said.

Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct. 19 / Trend S. Suleymanov /

The economic cooperation with Kazakhstan, the most stable and economically developed country in Central Asia, would facilitate the stabilization of the situation in Kyrgyzstan, Martha Brill Olcott, U.S famous expert on the region, said.

"Kazakhstan has a strong economy. If it becomes an economic partner of Kyrgyzstan, this will be the most effective step towards stabilizing the situation in this republic," Olcott, Senior Associate at Carnegie Endowment in the U.S, said in an interview with Trend.

Kyrgyzstan is in political crisis after President Bakiyev was overthrown this spring. The situation was aggravated as a result of ethnic clashes between Kyrgyz and Uzbek communities, accompanied by pogroms and massacres.

She said that Kazakhstan was in a difficult situation. On the one hand, it had to act as the OSCE presiding country, on the other hand - to protect its interests.

Kazakhstan closed its border with neighboring Kyrgyzstan to stabilize the social and political situation in Kyrgyzstan in April.

Olcott appreciated the Kazakh leadership's decision to send the police to Kyrgyzstan to help to stabilize the situation.

"Kazakhstan demonstrated the political maturity and made a prompt decision. While others hesitated and thought how to act, Kazakhstan began to provide special assistance", she said.

The Kyrgyz interim government headed by Roza Otunbayeva in the most acute period of inter-ethnic clashes repeatedly appealed for help to the international community, including Russia.

"No one dared to make a decision about military assistance, when the interim government asked for it, Olcott said. If it is possible to understand and justify the slowness of the United States, nothing hampered Russia to send its soldiers to resolve the situation.

Kyrgyzstan is not a NATO member. Therefore, it was difficult for the U.S. to make this decision, having the burden of responsibility in Afghanistan and Iraq.

However, Russia's inactivity puts the role of the CSTO, which was created to ensure security in the region, under question.

In this context, the OSCE forthcoming summit will be important, Olcott said. It is time to refresh the understanding of the OSCE's purpose, as there is no common understanding of its role, place and opportunities in resolving difficult challenges within the OSCE.

"Kazakhstan's proposal to convene a summit in Kazakhstan and everybody to listen to it means that the world community has recognized a role of Kazakhstan, primarily in the Central Asian region," Olcott said.

The OSCE summit is scheduled for December 1-2. It will bring together the presidents and heads of governments of 56 member-states and 12 OSCE partner-countries, as well as the heads of 68 international organizations.

The OSCE summits have been held at the top level six times after the organization was established in 1975. The last of them took place in Istanbul 11 years ago.

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