Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle today (8 April) issued the following statement on the situation in Kyrgyzstan:

”I am deeply shocked by the large number of people killed or injured during the recent clashes in Kyrgyzstan. I call on the authorities to do everything possible to prevent any further violence, plundering or bloodshed. The country must return as soon as possible to security and stability founded on the rule of law and democracy.“

During his four-day trip to Africa the Minister is receiving regular briefings on developments in Kyrgyzstan. Yesterday the Federal Foreign Office set up a crisis unit to monitor the situation in this Central Asian country.

As the only EU member state embassy in Kyrgyzstan, the German Embassy in Bishkek is leading and coordinating operations on behalf of the other EU member states and liaising closely with German aid agencies on the ground.

There are some 300 German nationals currently in Kyrgyzstan. The German Embassy in Bishkek keeps in close contact with them and will assist them to leave the country if they so desire. On present reports, no German nationals have been harmed during the recent clashes. The number of other European nationals in the country runs to several hundred.