Medvedev warns Kirgizia may develop into a new Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON, June 25 (Itar-Tass) -- President Dmitry Medvedev said
Russia is not planning to send peacekeepers to Kirgizia, but made it clear
Moscow will work to prevent the Central Asian nation from developing into
a new Afghanistan.
"The Russian Federation has never planned and is not planning to send
peacekeepers to Kyrgyzstan, although corresponding consultations were
held," Medvedev told a joint news conference with U.S. President Barack
Obama on Thursday.
"If we speak about the possibility of using power methods to restore
order, Kirgizia has to cope with the task itself," Medvedev said.
"The situation in Kirgizia is difficult. Unfortunately, at present
the government is not working properly as it should. The country is
actually de-facto divided into parts, civilian clashes continue also on
ethnic background and many people were killed," he said.
Medvedev said Russia is in contact with interim Kirgiz government,
which "has yet to prove its legitimacy."
"But anyway Kirgizia is our strategic partner and we shall assist it
materially and help resolve humanitarian problems," he added.
The Russian president hopes elections in Kirgizia will create viable
authorities capable of coping with the situation. "Otherwise degradation
awaits Kirgizia and, unfortunately, the country may be break up. We are
all concerned that radicals may come to power in such conditions," the
president said adding in this case Kirgizia may develop into a new
Afghanistan.
"In this case we shall have to deal with the tasks that are being
fulfilled in other places. I mean the tasks that are being resolved in
Afghanistan today," he said.
The Russian president made it clear the Collective Security Treaty
Organization (CSTO) may interfere in this case. "So far there is no
necessity, but the situation may develop in different ways. The CSTO will
definitely react to the problems," Medvedev said adding he as CSTO
chairman can any time hold consultations with member-states.
He also expressed hope the United States will display "understanding"
of the problem.
Both presidents called in a joint statement to use non-violent,
political methods in resolving the problems in Kirgizia and for an early
restoration of public order, civil peace and international accord.


.CSTO chief to visit Kirgizia.

BISHKEK, June 25 (Itar-Tass) -- Nikolai Bordyuzha, secretary general
of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) uniting seven CIS
states is arriving for a two-day visit to Kirgizia on Friday to assess the
situation following riots and bloodshed in the south of the Central Asian
republic.
He is accompanied by representatives of Armenia, Kazakhstan, and
Tajikistan who will visit Bishkek, as well as southern Osh and Jalalabad
where most clashes occurred.
"The main task of the group is to assess the military-political
situation in the Kirgiz Republic and assist law enforcement agencies in
the elimination of the consequences of mass riots. Additional proposals
will be prepared for CSTO member-states aimed at assisting law enforcers
of Kirgizia in localizing and stopping disorders and suppressing extremist
actions," CSTO press service said.
CSTO, which unites Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia, Tajikistan,
Uzbekistan, and Kirgizia refused to send peacekeepers to the south of
Kirgizia, but provided numerous helicopters, military vehicles, police
equipment, and fuel.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned on Thursday Kirgizia may
develop into a new Afghanistan.
Medvedev hopes elections in Kirgizia will create viable authorities
capable of coping with the situation. "Otherwise degradation awaits
Kirgizia and, unfortunately, the country may be break up. We are all
concerned that radicals may come to power in such conditions," the
president said.
"In this case we shall have to deal with the tasks that are being
fulfilled in other places. I mean the tasks that are being resolved in
Afghanistan today," he said.
Medvedev made it clear the CSTO may interfere in this case. "So far
there is no necessity, but the situation may develop in different ways.
The CSTO will definitely react to the problems," Medvedev said adding he
as CSTO chairman can any time hold consultations with member-states.
Kirgizia holds a nationwide referendum on the constitutional reform on
Sunday and is also to decide whether interim government head Rosa
Otunbayeva shall enjoy transitional presidential powers up to December 31,
2011.

.Russia backs US effort to create effective state in Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON, June 25 (Itar-Tass) -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
backs the U.S. effort in Afghanistan if it results in an effective state
and modern economy, but recalled that the Soviet invasion of the country
in 1979 ended in a failure.
"I try not to give pieces of advice that cannot be fulfilled,"
Medvedev said. "This is a very hard topic, a very difficult one. Our own
experience (in Afghanistan) is well known."
"We believe the United States and other countries are helping the
Afghan people restore the basics of an effective state, civil society and
economy. We shall support the efforts of the United States in this
respect," Medvedev told a joint press conference with Barack Obama.
"This is the path to guarantee that the gravest scenarios of the past
period will not repeat," he said.

.Russia, US plan joint action against Afghan drug barons.

MOSCOW, June 25 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia and the United States outlined a
joint action plan against several Afghan drug barons, Russian anti-drug
chief Viktor Ivanov told reporters in a TV link-up from Washington on
Thursday.
He said he handed over in May to his US counterpart Gil Kerlikowske a
list of nine Afghan residents who are suspected of drug trafficking to
Russia.
"Kerlikowske yesterday told me that information was confirmed about
several of the objects and we outlined a joint action plan to bring to
responsibility the objects in Afghanistan and those who traffic drugs to
our country," Ivanov said.
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