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Medvedev hopes that situation in Kyrgyzstan will remain within legal framework

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said that Moscow is closely following the developments in Kyrgyzstan
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev Yekaterina Shtukina/POOL/TASS
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev
© Yekaterina Shtukina/POOL/TASS

CHOLPON-ATA, August 8. /TASS/. Detention of former Kyrgyz president Almazbek Atambayev is an internal affairs of the Central Asian country but Moscow is following the situation and hopes it will develop in the framework of the law, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Thursday after arriving to Kyrgyzstan to take part in the meeting of heads of government of Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) member states.

"This is, of course, the internal matter of Kyrgyzstan, but we cannot remain indifferent toward the latest developments since Kyrgyzstan is our partner, and our friends live here," Medvedev said reminding that Kyrgyzstan is part of the EAEU and Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). "In my opinion, it is clear that Kyrgyzstan has already met its limit on revolutions in the 21st century, and it will be very undesirable if such events will lead to political and economic instability in the country. It will affect many people who live in this country, and it will affect our Eurasian project," Medvedev noted.

The Russian prime minister said that Moscow is closely following the situation in Kyrgyzstan. Medvedev said that he already discussed this with Kyrgyzstan's Prime Minister Mukhammedkalyi Abylgaziev on Thursday. The Russian prime minister also plans to meet with Kyrgyzstan's President Sooronbay Jeenbekov. "Of course, we will touch upon this issue," Medvedev said.

"We hope that everything that will happen in the future, will be based on strict compliance with the country's laws and its Constitution, which contains answers to many questions that are being raised now," Medvedev noted. "Everything else is the responsibility of our Kyrgyz colleagues," he concluded.

Kyrgyz special forces’ operation to detain the former president, who was charged with corruption and stripped of immunity, began on Wednesday and lasted for almost 24 hours as law enforcement officers faced strong resistance from Almazbek Atambayev’s supporters defending his residence in the settlement of Koi-Tash. A special forces member was killed during the operation, while 98 people were injured in clashes between Atambayev’s supporters and law enforcers. The second attempt to storm the residence followed on Thursday. Several thousand police and commandos were involved. Kyrgyzstan’s President Sooronbay Jeenbekov said that Atambayev had violated the country’s Constitution by offering armed resistance to law enforcers.