Russia and Kazakhstan are considering sending an additional $10 million in aid to Kyrgyzstan, the Russian finance minister said Monday.
"We, together with Kazakhstan and the Eurasian Development Bank, are assessing the needs of Kyrgyzstan in connection with the difficulties that arose from the unsanctioned events," Alexei Kudrin told a cabinet meeting, adding that the list of urgent needs was yet to be clarified.
He said it would be possible to send around $10 million as an additional grant "to support priority social policy tasks and stabilize the situation" and that the funds would be allocated from reserves for international activities.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin backed the Finance Ministry's proposals and also ordered on Monday up to 20,000 metric tons of diesel fuel to be shipped to Kyrgyzstan.
Putin's deputy Igor Sechin said three Russian oil companies are ready to send the supplies.
Violent clashes between ethnic Kyrgyz and minority Uzbek groups in southern Kyrgyzstan broke out in the city of Osh on June 11 and spread to the neighboring Jalalabad region. The official death toll is over 200, but officials say actual figures could be up to ten times higher.
MOSCOW, July 12 (RIA Novosti)
