Clinton pledges US assistance to help Kyrgyzstan recover from deadly ethnic rioting

Clinton pledges US aid to Kyrgyzstan

WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has spoken with Kyrgyzstan’s leader to pledge U.S. support and assistance to help the country recover from an outbreak of deadly ethnic violence.

The State Department said Clinton spoke by telephone on Wednesday with interim Kyrgyz President Roza Otunbayeva to discuss the former Soviet state’s immediate and long-term need for aid. A senior American diplomat is also heading to the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek for further consultations on Friday.

The U.S. Embassy in Bishkek says Washington has set aside $10.3 million in short-term and medium term help. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said more than $6.5 million of that is for immediate humanitarian assistance.