Clinton and Lavrov discuss Kyrgyzstan situation

Secretary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov were on the phone yesterday discussing the situation in Kyrgyzstan, where fighting between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks has resulted in an estimated 2,000 deaths and almost 400,000 ethnic Uzbeks fleeing to or across the border with Uzbekistan. The country still plans to hold a June 27 referendum on a new constitution, despite a state of emergency in some regions.

State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said in a statement yesterday:

[Clinton and Lavrov] agreed that the issue of the upcoming referendum is the sovereign decision of Kyrgyzstan to make and agreed to encourage the authorities of Kyrgyzstan to conduct it according to international standards with the monitoring support of OSCE [Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe] and others. The ministers also discussed coordination of U.S. and Russian humanitarian assistance and other support to Kyrgyzstan to help its authorities restore security, stability, and reconciliation among all citizens of Kyrgyzstan.

(In the photo above, Kyrgyz refugees sit under their tent on the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border  on June 19.)