EU to discuss Kyrgyz request for police mission

(BRUSSELS) - The European Union will examine a request from Kyrgyzstan to deploy a police mission to the south of the country to prevent a resurgence of ethnic violence, the European Commission said Monday.

Kristalina Georgieva, the European humanitarian aid and crisis response commissioner, said after a three-day visit to Kyrgyzstan that President Roza Otunbayeva made the request in the wake of deadly unrest in June.

"Security protection is paramount now, and yes having a neutral party there would be helpful," Georgieva told reporters.

Georgieva said she would report back to EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton and European foreign ministers that Kyrgyzstan had made "a plea for Europe to provide police support, training for local police forces, and also a presence that would ensure some neutrality on both sides."

The European commissioner said she would raise the issue with EU ambassadors on Monday and again at a meeting of foreign ministers on July 26.

Otunbayeva warned Monday that the Central Asian country still risked being hit by new unrest after clashes between ethnic majority Kyrgyz and minority Uzbeks in June killed hundreds of people and displaced 400,000.