Full-fledged economic cooperation with Kyrgyzstan...
Large-scale anti-government protests swept Kyrgyzstan on April 6-7, claiming the lives of at least 80 people and leading to the overthrow of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev. The self-declared interim government urgently needs funds and fuel to normalize conditions in the impoverished Central Asian republic.
"Russia has given humanitarian aid to Kyrgyzstan, but full-fledged economic cooperation is possible only after the institutions of state are restored," Medvedev said at a news conference with his Uzbek counterpart, Islam Karimov.
The Russian government has already expressed readiness to provide aid to Kyrgyzstan"s interim government. Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said on Wednesday Russia would give Kyrgyzstan a $20 mln grant and a $30 mln concessional loan to help stabilize the economic situation in the ex-Soviet republic after the recent riots.
Medvedev said that the most important task now for Kyrgyzstan is "to revive the government."