BISHKEK, Kyrgyz republic

The UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Central Asia Miroslav Jenča, the OSCE Chairperson's Special Envoy for Kyrgyzstan Adam Kobieracki and EU Special Representative for Central Asia Pierre Morel visited Kyrgyzstan today. Following meetings with the President Roza Otunbaeva, Prime Minister Almazbek Atambaev, Speaker of the Parliament Akhmatbek Keldibekov, Foreign Minister Ruslan Kazakbaev, other officials and representatives of civil society and regional organizations, the Envoys issued the following statement:

"The UN, the OSCE and the EU underline the importance of the forthcoming presidential elections for peaceful and stable development in Kyrgyzstan. It is our expectation that the election results would strengthen Kyrgyzstan's democracy and enable the country to continue reforms in order to ensure further social and economic development in the country, and prosperity of the people.

"We commend the efforts of the country's leadership to establish a solid tradition for the orderly transfer of power, and we call on all relevant actors to ensure that the elections are held in a transparent, free and fair manner, in line with international standards. Equal opportunities for all presidential candidates must be ensured, and we encourage them to demonstrate mutual respect and promote national unity in their electoral campaigns.

"Peaceful inter-ethnic relations are of paramount importance, and we urge political leaders and civil society to work together to promote national reconciliation.

"We note the measures undertaken to reform the judiciary and promote good governance. We underline the importance of implementing the UN Peace Building strategy and the OSCE Community Security Initiative, which both aim at strengthening the rule of law and promoting political dialogue and ethnic tolerance. We welcome further implementation of laws and protection of the rights of all citizens, including the right for a fair trial and access to justice. We also express our interest in the work of the special Commission for implementing and monitoring the discharge of recommendations of the Kyrgyzstani Inquiry Commission and other reports and studies on the events of 2010 in southern Kyrgyzstan.

"We reaffirm the commitment of the UN, the OSCE and the EU to work closely and systematically in co-ordination to support efforts towards stabilization, reconciliation, economic and social development and democratization in Kyrgyzstan."