Putin calls power change in Kyrgyzstan ‘illegitimate’

AFX Europe (Focus)
Mar 25, 2005

YEREVAN, Armenia (AFX) – Russian President Vladimir Putin denounced the
“illegitimate” change of power in Kyrgyzstan but said Russia hoped to
establish positive relations with new authorities that emerge there,
Agence France-Presse reported.

The Russian president also offered to shelter to Kyrgyzstan’s ousted
leader Askar Akayev after the veteran chief was removed from power
by chaotic opposition protests.

“It is regrettable that in a post-Soviet country the conflict was
resolved in an illegitimate way and was accompanied by pogroms and
human victims,” Putin said at a news conference.

“But we hope that in the future our relations develop in a positive
manner for the good of the Russian and Kyrgyz people,” he added,
according to AFP.

Putin also said that opposition leaders currently assuming positions
of authority in the Central Asian state were “well known” in Russia
and “have contributed greatly to the growth of Russian-Kyrgyz
relations.” bur-cb/tnm/wk