Solana urges Kyrgyz people to act responsibly

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana called on the Kyrgyz people Friday to behave responsibly sothat order can be restored quickly in the country.

In a statement issued here Friday, Solana "strongly appealed tothe people of Kyrgyzstan" to behave responsibly in order to ease restoration of law and order throughout the country and to refrainfrom violence and looting.

The security chief was currently in contact with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on the matter, the statement said.

The EU will continue to support the efforts of an OSCE mission in Bishkek and of OSCE envoy to Kyrgyzstan Alojz Peterle, it added.

The opposition in Kyrgyzstan started gathering after the Feb. 27 parliamentary election, alleging the poll was flawed. Rallies escalated after the March 13 run-offs, with the opposition taking control of government buildings and airports in some southern regions.

On Thursday, Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev reportedly left his country for Kazakhstan after thousands of opposition supporters stormed government headquarters and occupied national TV station in the capital Bishkek.

Source: Xinhua