CSTO officials gather in Moscow to discuss Kyrgyzstan situation
16:11 14/06/2010
MOSCOW, June 14 (RIA Novosti) - Officials from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) gathered on Monday to discuss ways to resolve the crisis in Kyrgyzstan, including possible deployment of a peacekeeping contingent.
"We agreed the positions of security council secretaries, worked out measures that will be reported to CSTO presidents. We hope the measures are coordinated soon," Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev said at the extraordinary meeting.
He said the meeting participants "did not rule out the use of any means on the CSTO agenda." CSTO, a post-Soviet security bloc, comprises Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
A total of 118 people have died and over 1,600 have been injured since Friday in clashes between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbek groups that swept through the country's second-largest city of Osh and another southern city of Jalal-Abad.
The border between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan was closed following the riots, during which cars were set on fire, and stores, markets and residential buildings smashed and looted.
Kyrgyz interim authorities said Monday a well-known politician suspected of organizing mass riots in Kyrgyzstan has been detained.
More than 75,000 ethnic Uzbeks have reportedly fled Kyrgyzstan to take refuge in Uzbekistan following the unrest.
Russia sent Kyrgyzstan humanitarian aid.
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