Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan. 7 /Trend/
The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Leonid Kozhara, called today for restraint and dialogue following an incident between residents in the southern border region of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, a press release published on OSCE website said on Monday.
"I welcome the release of the people who had been held. I urge all those involved to exercise restraint and act responsibly," he said.
Kozhara stated that issues must be resolved in a peaceful manner, through dialogue and OSCE stands ready to facilitate this process upon request and in line with its mandate.
The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office will continue to follow the situation closely.
The OSCE has a Centre in Bishkek, including a field office in Kyrgyzstan's Batken province, as well as the Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan.
As Kyrgyz AKIpress news agency reported earlier, several hundred residents in the Uzbek enclave of Sokh on Sunday attacked a Kyrgyz border guard base in Batken region.
According to the agency, the incident took place when a large group of residents from the Uzbek village of Khushyar attacked Kyrgyz frontier guards who were erecting supports for electricity transmission lines in Kyrgyzstan's Batken region on Sunday. The villagers tried to seize firearms from the frontier guards, injuring some in the process, RIA Novosti reported.
According to Uzbekistan's Committee on Protection of the State Border under the Service of State Security, the conflict on Uzbek-Kyrgyz border was provoked by Kyrgyz frontier guards.