COPENHAGEN, 9 April 2010 -- Adil Akhmetov, a member of the Kazakh delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, has been appointed a Special Envoy to Kyrgyzstan by President João Soares.

Mr. Akhmetov will arrive in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek Saturday morning, 10 April, and will make contact with relevant interlocutors to discuss possible contributions by the Parliamentary Assembly to help stabilize the situation in the country.

President Soares has urged restraint by all parties in Kyrgyzstan and stressed that “a peaceful resolution and broad-based political dialogue is the only way forward for Kyrgyzstan.” He also stated that the Parliamentary Assembly stands ready to support OSCE efforts aimed at facilitating dialogue.

Adil Akhmetov has been a member of the Senate of the Parliament of Kazakhstan since August 2007. He is the Secretary of the Senate Committee for International Relations, Defense, and Security. A former university educator, Mr. Akhmetov has also served as Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Great Britain.