‘Speech Crisis’ between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan

Foreign Ministry of Kyrgyzstan has summoned a Kazakh diplomat after Arystanbek Mukhamediuly, Culture and Sports Minister of Kazakhstan said he felt sorry for Kyrgyz girls having to clean public toilets in Moscow, Reuters reports.

Mukhamediuly said in a speech, “When I go to Moscow, it is painful for me to see how young Kyrgyz girls have to clean public toilets there. Since there are no jobs, no prospects in their country, Kyrgyz have to leave,” RFERL reported.

According to Reuters, the Kyrgyz foreign ministry said in a statement late on Tuesday that Arystanbek Mukhamediuly’s comments were insulting, “Comments had provoked a negative reaction from the Kyrgyz public and were not in line with the allied spirit of Kyrgyz-Kazakh relations”.

The officials of Kazakhstan said that there is a misunderstanding about the speech of Minister of Culture and Sports of Kazakhstan Arystanbek Mukhamediuly.

Muhamediuly has apologized for the misunderstanding.

Vice Minister of Culture and Sport Galym Akhmedyarov told that “The statement of the Minister Muhamediuly’s turned out to be misinterpreted in the media, which has led to a controversy. We assure that the Minister Arystanbek Muhamediuly has always respected the Kyrgyz people, and his words were not intended to offend anyone,” Aki Press reports.