A US diplomat has met with interim Kyrgyz leader Roza Otunbayeva and urged calm and respect for "democratic principles," the State Department said.
But State Department spokesman Philip Crowley indicated the United States did not recognize Roza Otunbayeva as the country's leader, describing her as the "opposition leader."
The US charge d'affaires in Bishkek held talks with Otunbayeva, while in Washington, Robert Blake, the assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia, met with the deposed government's foreign minister.
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"Our message in both cases was that we hope that calm will be restored in a manner consistent with democratic principles," Crowley told reporters.
"Our priority at this point is law and order and that democracy be established in accordance with the rule of law," he said.
The United States transits forces into Afghanistan through the Manas base in Kyrgyzstan, cooperating with deposed president Kurmanbek Bakiyev despite concerns about his rule.
Crowley said that the United States had been clear about its concerns over corruption and a lack of democracy in the Central Asian nations.
"We understand that there were specific grievances that resulted in the demonstrations that have produced an opposition that now says that it has effective control of the government," Crowley said.
"We obviously will deal with governments -- some good, some not so good," he said.
