Commenting on the continuing unrest in southern Kyrgyzstan, Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle today (13 June) issued the following statement:

“I am very concerned about the tensions and the clashes still flaring up in the south of Kyrgyzstan, which have already resulted in so many deaths. I implore all sides to stop the violence immediately.

Apart from stabilizing the situation, it is important to make sure people are supplied with humanitarian aid. In close consultations with the Kyrgyz transitional government, the UN and the EU, we are therefore working out what can be done to help those in need.

The German Embassy in Bishkek and the Federal Foreign Office’s Crisis Response Centre are already in action. We are trying to get Germans and EU citizens out of the conflict region.”

Federal Foreign Minister Westerwelle is being constantly kept up to date on the situation in Kyrgyzstan. It is assumed that at least two German nationals are presently in Osh, the city most affected by the violence. The Federal Foreign Office is arranging for them, and other EU citizens, to leave the conflict area as quickly as possible.

The Federal Foreign Office is currently advising against non-essential travel to Kyrgyzstan, and strongly discouraging people from travelling to the south of the country. All German and European nationals currently in Kyrgyzstan are asked to exercise special vigilance. They are recommended to avoid crowds, stay indoors if possible after nightfall, and keep themselves informed about the security situation.

Read more on Germany's bilateral relations to Kyrgyzstan: