Indian nationals safe in Kyrgyzstan: Govt.

NEW DELHI - The Government here on Wednesday stated that the Indian nationals in Kyrgyzstan were safe, as the security situation there is presently calm.

Minister of External Affairs S.M.Krishna in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today said: “Indian nationals in Kyrgyzstan are safe for the present since the security situation there remains calm.”

“Our Embassy in Bishkek in coordination with local authorities safely evacuated 105 Indian nationals, mostly students, from the troubled cities of Osh and Jalal-Abad in the southern part of Kyrgyzstan, to Bishkek, the capital. There was no casualty or injury to any Indian during the rescue operation,” Krishna informed the House.

The External Affairs Minister informed that in keeping with our policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, no formal demarche was made on this situation to the Kyrgyz Government, since there was no casualty/injury to any Indian national. However, the entire evacuation operation was completed successfully with cooperation and coordination with the local authorities.

In June, 2010 some ethnic violence erupted in Kyrgyzstan.

Several thousand young persons confronted each other in the southern city of Osh with sticks, steel rods and guns.

In the course of the next few days the violence spread to the adjoining areas of Kara-suu and Jalal-Abad. (ANI)