The European Union said on Tuesday the overthrow of Kyrgyzstan's veteran President Askar Akayev was a victory for democracy. The EU had previously avoided supporting any side, urging calm, national dialogue and reconciliation, and relations between the 25-nation bloc and Russia have been tense over former Soviet republics that have become Western-leaning. "We are all happy to see the democratic developments taking place in (Kyrgyzstan)," Luxembourg's Deputy Foreign Minister Nicolas Schmit told the European parliament. Luxembourg holds the bloc's presidency and Schmit was addressing the parliament in place of Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn with the authority of all 25 EU governments. "Now we have to help this country ... so that the democratic victory can be turned into a real consolidated victory in this country," said Schmit. Mass protests over alleged vote-rigging forced Akayev to flee impoverished Kyrgyzstan last week after 14 years in power. Akayev, now in Russia, has refused to resign and said on Tuesday he had to be involved in any political settlement in the Central Asian country. His refusal to disappear quietly from the scene could complicate efforts by opposition leaders who drove him from office to consolidate their position as Kyrgyzstan's legitimate new rulers.