Strasbourg, 11/05/2005 (Agence Europe) - During the debate that the European Parliament held on Wednesday in plenary session on the situation in Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia (a debate to which we shall return and which will be followed, on Thursday, by the adoption of a resolution by the EP), the Luxembourg minister for European affairs, Nicolas Schmit, said on behalf of the Council Presidency that, despite certain recent improvements, the “situation in Kyrgyzstan remains critical”, with an uncertain political situation, an economic situation that does not improve and public order that remains “precarious”. The “new policy dynamic” (created by the recent fall of the regime of the former president, Askar Akaïev) is “structured according to the lines of personal and regional allegiance and the political parties only play a purely nominal role”, Mr Schmit criticised. The campaign for the presidential election, scheduled for 10 July (with the possible second round on 24 July), is increasingly tending to divide the country into two camps behind the two main candidates - two candidates that have so far not really sought dialogue to allow democratic transition after the elections, Mr Schmit says with concern, stressing the need to have “free and impartial elections”. Regarding the situation in Central Asia, “the EU considers that relations with the region are of vital importance”, and it is ready to support transition by these countries, by playing a balancing role between Russia, the United States and possibly China. Several factors create an “atmosphere of uncertainty” around the Central Asian countries: lack of economic and political reform, corruption, organised crime, drug trafficking, and lack of economic growth.