Kyrgyzstan's president cancels US trip amid illness

By Nezir Aliyev

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan’s President Almazbek Atambayev has canceled his U.S. visit to attend the UN General Assembly amid heart problems.

Atambayev, 60, had complained of chest pains on his way from Bishkek to New York at Istanbul’s Ataturk’s Airport, Bishkek-based news agency AKIpress reported, citing the Kyrgyz Presidential Press Office.

After an initial medical examination on the plane, doctors detected some heart problems and urged the president to get an in-depth exam, the agency reported.

Atambayev will receive full treatment in Turkey, it added.

In his absence, Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Erlan Abdyldaev will lead the delegation in New York.