riting in the Uzbek newspaper `Vatan' on 29th February, Uzbek water engineers Kayum Odilov and Pirmat Shermukhamedov said that Central Asia has water resources which could be used to save the Aral Sea, in particular the surplus waters of the Chardara reservoir in southern Kazakhstan, and the runoff waters which flow into lakes and rivers. These latter are frequently highly toxic, but if purified could be directed towards the Aral Sea. Much of the water used to irrigate low-yield, water-intensive saline soils could also be more effectively used if directed into the sea, the writers said. The following are excerpts from report:

In the 1960s, 56 cubic kilometres of water flowed into the Aral Sea. In the 1990s, 50 cu.km of water were used irrigate the newly cultivated lands in Central Asia. So not a single drop of water is flowing into the sea. There are 7,330,000 ha of irrigated land areas on the territory of Central Asia, which require 115.5 cubic kilometres of water. The present volume of the Aral Sea is 246 cu.km, so the irrigated areas alone can completely consume the sea in two years' time.

Speaking about the internal water resources of the Central Asian states, one first of all means the distribution among them of the waters of the Amudarya and Syrdarya rivers. The average annual water capacity of the Amudarya is known to be 80 cu.km, while that of the Syrdarya is about 37-40 cu.km. To correctly assess the potential of the two rivers one should learn about the irrigation processes of the existing farm lands on the territories of the Central Asian states.

Uzbekistan irrigates 2,300,000 ha, Kyrgyzstan 214,000 ha, Tajikistan 475,000 ha and Turkmenistan 1,300,000 ha of lands from the Amudarya River. From the Syrdarya River, Uzbekistan irrigates 1,862,000 ha, Kyrgyzstan 120,000 ha, Tajikistan 230,000 ha and Kazakhstan 730,000 ha. The figures show that the irrigated areas make up a total of 7,330,000 ha, which require 115.5 cu.km of water.

It should be pointed out that Uzbekistan has 200,000 ha of extremely saline soils, Turkmenistan 700,000 ha, Kazakhstan 150,000 ha, Kyrgyzstan 20,000 ha and Tajikistan - 10,000 ha. According to estimates, extremely saline lands require 3-4 times more water than non-saline soils. Besides that, the crop capacity of the saline soils is between seven and 20 quintals per hectare. Note that 7,000 soms are spent on each hectare of non-saline land while 12,600 soms are required for each hectare of saline soils.

The 12.1 cu.km water used on extremely saline soils on the territories of the Central Asian countries should be turned back to the Aral Sea. No one is against the cultivation of virgin lands. Here we are speaking about lands which have been opened up without proper scientific research and analysis. According to official data, during 1970-1994, 50.49 cu.km of water were used to irrigate 1,090,000 ha of new land in Uzbekistan, 413,000 ha in Kazakhstan, 1,090,00 ha in Turkmenistan, 91,500 ha in Kyrgyzstan and 186,200 ha in Tajikistan.

Discussing ways of saving the Aral Sea, ecologists mention water reservoirs on the territory of Central Asia. In their opinion, it is necessary to open the gates of these water reservoirs. But this proposal cannot be supported. Because the fate of farmlands in Central Asia considerably depends on these water reservoirs. It is a question of the rational use of the potential of these water resources. It is true that some of them were built 20-30 years ago and so their land-improvement and technical capacities are outdated. At present 57.2 cu.km of water have accumulated in water reservoirs of Central Asia, 7 cu.km of which may evaporate and another 7 cu.km of which may be absorbed. If you add to that the 13.32 cu.km which are not used in these reservoirs, we make clear what we want to say: it is possible to turn into the Aral Sea at least the waters which are accumulated during winter time.

It is worth mentioning that every year 10 cu.km of water which should flow into the Aral Sea are accumulated in the Chardara water reservoir [southern Kazakhstan] and then released through Aranasoy to Aydarkul [central Uzbekistan]. Aydarkul is expanding towards Nurota [town in central Uzbekistan]. These waters form swamps in desert areas and deprive cattle of their fodder. The natural question arises: why are the surplus waters of Chardara wasted instead of being turned towards the Aral Sea?

When speaking about the internal opportunities of the Central Asian states, one should not forget about runoff water either. According to specialists, part of the nearly 32 cu.km of runoff waters flowing through Central Asia flow into lakes. It is necessary to think about turning at least part of those waters into the Aral Sea.

Scientific estimates show that annually 10.8 cu.km of runoff waters flow into the Amudarya. The waters of the river have been shown to contain various toxic elements, including oil products. For nine months of the year the waters of the river are hazardous to drink.

n official on the board of an Uzbek-British joint venture of the British American Tobacco Co told ITAR-TASS on Tuesday [29th February] that about 2bn "Made in Uzbekistan" cigarettes are to be exported this year. Last year the JV exported more than 1,000m cigarettes worth 5,000 dollars to 10 countries.

The British company is one of the major investors in the Uzbek economy. Its equity share in the JV charter capital is 97 per cent. The overall cost of the project is 292m dollars, with 247m dollars being already used. Out of the sum, 100m dollars were used to build a tobacco factory in Samarkand. The full-rated capacity of the factory is 12,000m cigarettes a year.

he government of Uzbekistan has approved of an investment programme for 2000, a high-ranking source said on Sunday [20th February]. The overall sum of foreign investments and credits will reach 2.75bn dollars. A total of 750m dollars will be spent this year for 52 projects.

Some 165.7m dollars will be spent for projects of the Uzbekneftegas national holding. More than 100m dollars will be spent for communication projects. Foreign investors are ready to finance modernization of the airports of Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Urgench (about 40m dollars). A total of 46m dollars will be spent to develop the railway infrastructure, which is almost twice as much as last year. Social projects will have thrice more investments in 2000 as compared with 1999. Some 138.5m dollars will be paid for modern equipment of colleges and lycees. A republican ambulance centre will be built and equipped this year. A total of 89.6m dollars in foreign investments will be given for the development of small and medium businesses.

he Kyrgyz National Security Ministry has information that the banned Uzbek opposition is planning to deploy 4,000 fighters in two large bases which are being built in northern Afghanistan near the Uzbek border, `Vecherniy Bishkek' newspaper reported on its web site on 25th February. The Kyrgyz special services also have information that Uzbek opposition rebel leader Juma Namangoniy is meeting supporters and Usamah Bin Ladin in Afghanistan "to draw up further tactics of subversive activities to be carried out in the Central Asian region", the newspaper said. It quoted "a source" from the Uzbek National Security Service as saying that the militants behind the Batken District hostage-taking in August 1999 are setting up "bridgeheads" in deserted pits and mines in Uzbek and Tajik enclaves on Kyrgyz teritory and are preparing an armed incursion into Uzbekistan in spring from Tajikistan and Afghanistan. The following are excerpts from the report by the Kyrgyz newspaper 'Vecherniy Bishkek' web site on 25th February:

The secretary of the Kyrgyz Security Council, Bolot Dzhanuzakov, held a news conference not so long ago. According to the major-general [Dzhanuzakov], the reason for this news conference was that some reports forecasting that military operations would be resumed in spring in the republic's south are tending to appear very often in the media. Dzhanuzakov strongly denied such hypotheses in the media and said officially: "The Batken events (hostage-taking by Islamic militants in August 1999) will recur never."

We have serious doubts about this, and the author [of the article A.Otorbayev] can in no way share the optimism of the Security Council's secretary, because the highly skilled work by our security officers has showed quite the reverse. The spring is expected to be far too tense. In analysing the political situation in the Central Asian region, I have not set myself the aim to frighten someone or cause panic among people. Everybody knows that if one has reliable information, one can make arrangements for the future.

According to intelligence reports: "Tohir Yoldosh has held a number of diplomatic and other meetings to unite all Uzbek opposition parties and social movements, such as Birlik, Erk, Hezb-e Tahrir, and set up headquarters in Kandahar [southern] (Afghanistan)."

But that was later. In Karachi (Pakistan) in August 1999 a resolution was adopted by representatives of a number of Islamic extremist organizations to allocate 2m dollars to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan to hold the abovementioned meetings.

Kyrgyz special services have information that the organizer and ideological brains behind the the Batken conflict, Juma Namangoniy, has very often come by military aircraft belonging to the Taleban movement's military units from Mazar-e Sharif [northern Afghanistan] to Kandahar over the past two months, where he held talks with his fellow religious believers. The special services also do not rule out that "rendezvous" are held with "the general sponsor" of many terrorist acts, Usama Bin Laden there, in the Afghan mountains. The aim is to draw up further tactics of subversive activities to be carried out in the Central Asian region.

This is from service notes at the Kyrgyz National Security Ministry given to us by our source: "Having received financial aid, the Uzbek opposition has begun setting up two large bases in the vicinity of the Marmol locality in Balkh Province and in the area of Hayraton (both near the Uzbek-Afghan border). Two thousand fighters will be deployed in each base here as soon as the reconstruction of them ends."

The following fact is indirect evidence of this. Last November, after Tajik President Emomali Rahmonov issued a decree deporting Juma Namangoniy's detachment, 350 fighters left Tajikistan for Afghanistan through the Sherkhan checkpoint alone [on Tajik-Afghan border]. Tajik Emergencies Minister Mirzo Ziyo personally took them to the border. Ziyo is known as a man who was directly involved and took an active part in talks with Namangoniy on releasing the citizens of Kyrgyzstan and four Japanese geologists [from the militants in August 1999].

According to the reports available at the Kyrgyz National Security Ministry, today Juma Namangoniy's detachments are being reinforced by young people who have arrived again from all CIS republics, including from our republic as well. There are 62 people from Kyrgyzstan in these detachments - from [northeast] Naryn, [southern] Osh and [southwest] Dzhalal-Abad regions. Security officers have intelligence that some of them drove 400 yaks from Zardaly [in southern Kyrgyz Batken Region] to (Tandy-Kul) in Jirgatol District of Tajikistan on 20th October 1999. Foreign instructors, Pakistanis, Indians and Arabs are training our lads. Now bandits are watching over these young people of Kyrgyzstan. They are teaching them how to kill.

I will question the optimism of the secretary of the Security Council one more. A concentration of supporters of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan in enclaves - in Uzbek Sokh and Tajik Voruh enclaves (both are on the territory of Kyrgyz Batken Region) has been registered today, a source from the Uzbek National Security Service has reported. Following the bloody Batken events they have infiltrated civilians by now and fighters' bridgeheads are now being set up in deserted [uranium and coal] pits and mines. Local people are helping fighters with food supplies as some of our residents did in August-October 1999 [in Batken].

What about Juma Namangoniy? He is now frequenting Tajikistan. The notorious field commander, Tohir Yoldosh, who also was actively involved in conducting "the Batken operation", is now a frequent visitor here, in Qarotegin valley [in central Tajikistan]. Our source also has said that another field commander, Yunus Abdurahmonov, has now arrived in Tojikobod ([central] Tajikistan) with his detachment. He was "renowned" as an organizer of the Tashkent bomb explosions on 16th February 1999.

At the moment, the Kyrgyz National Security Ministry is working on all the intelligence. It shows that Juma Namangoniy is planning to launch an armed incursion into Uzbekistan in spring from Afghanistan and Tajikistan, and in doing so he intends to use actively as before the mountain paths in Batken Region, which borders directly on Uzbekistan. The same Zardaly, Karamyk and Sokh directions are being described again as areas which Kyrgyz troops are guarding with difficulty.

It is impossible for the Security Council's secretary to be unaware of all that has been written above. All Uzbek power-wielding structures were put on high alert as long ago as at the end of 1999. Some military units stationed on the Uzbek-Afghan, Uzbek-Tajik and Uzbek-Kyrgyz borders also were put on standby at the same time. Passport and other entry controls have been toughened. Work is in full swing in Uzbekistan to introduce a visa regime for CIS citizens. Our neighbour's special services have been working in Kyrgyzstan for along time now following the situation.

Along with this, relations between official Dushanbe and official Tashkent have considerably worsened especially over the past few months. Uzbekistan is demanding Tajikistan should deport and hand over Juma Namangoniy and his comrades-in-arms. Tajikistan in response has demanded the rebellious colonel, [Mahmud] Khudoyberdiyev (who made an attempt to take Leninobod by storm [in November 1998]). Having failed to reach an agreement, the neighbours are now holding active debates around disputed border areas.

Kyrgyzstan has come in for criticism, too. [Uzbek President] Islam Karimov, who uses tough methods to rule the state and ignores any quibbling, criticized our power-wielding structures at the height of the Batken war, accusing them of sluggishness. His words are the bitter truth.

A session of the Defence Council under the Kyrgyz president was held at Government House [in Bishkek] on 20th January [2000]. The only and clear-cut task which was set was to form armed forces which must be able to repel any foreign aggression. This means, for all that, that we are preparing for the spring, doesn't it?

resident Islam Karimov issued a decree on the appointment of Turdiqul Suvonovich Botayorov ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the Republic of Kazakhstan

he leader of the biggest Uzbek party, People's Democratic Party of Uzbekistan, said his party had been subjected to pressure in the run-up to the parliamentary elections in December 1999. In a report reviewing the party's showing in the parliamentary poll and the presidential poll in January 2000, Abdulhafiz Jalolov, said that some mass media had carried negative reports about his party and had been "openly" positive about another party, which he did not name. Jalolov said 475 candidates from the party were forced to pull out of the race for parliament and local councils because of the pressure. Jalolov said the existing election system had to be improved so that elections to parliament and local councils are held separately and the rights of observers are protected. He also said "the rights and duties" of opposition parties should be defined by the law, and supported the president's idea of introducing a bicameral parliament. The following are excerpts from report by the Uzbek newspaper 'Ozbekiston Ovozi':

A report by the first secretary of the Central Council of the People's Democratic Party of Uzbekistan [PDPU], Abdulhafiz Jalolov, at the Central Council's second plenum (26th February 2000)

The first part of the report analyzed the political situation in the country following the general elections.

Although the PDPU had participated in the previous elections and accumulated certain experience, we should openly admit that the last elections were fairly difficult for us because a number of new parties had emerged and grown stronger since the previous elections. Under a new provision in the election code, initiative groups also had the right to nominate candidates.

As a result, our expectations proved too high. Despite the provisions of the election code and the efforts of the Central Electoral Commission, the party was subjected to some pressure during the election campaign. Some republican media carried inaccurate reports about the party, its election programme, the party's faction in the Supreme Assembly and the party's candidates. No doubt, this negatively affected the opinion of some of our potential voters. Certain mass media used this method against us, a respectable party. At the same time they openly favoured another party. This happened because certain mass media failed to provide balanced coverage. That is why, as long as there is no free thinking in our mass media in the broad sense of this word as in all democratic states, no-one will be secured against such cases.

As a result of the pressure, some candidates from our party pulled out of the campaign. Out of the 6,344 candidates nominated by the party for all representative bodies of power, 475 (66 of them were candidates to the Supreme Assembly) were pressurized in one way or another and withdrew from the elections. Of course, here we have to admit, frankly, that our candidates showed the lack of willpower.

Speaking about the difficulties during the election campaign, we should also note that the circulation of our publications [the `Ozbekiston Ovozi' and `Golos Uzbekistana' newspapers and the `Muloqot' magazine] fell and the funding of the party's local organizations seriously shrank.

Now a few words about our party's participation in the presidential elections [9th January 2000]. You should know that the party's third congress adopted a separate resolution on this. You also know the election results: Islam Karimov was rightly re-elected president of our republic. However, our efforts were not fruitless. There was a choice of candidates in the presidential elections and this strengthened the democratic trends which are taking root in the country. The party's reputation and the number of its supporters have increased.

Our party's parliamentary faction is instructed actively to initiate the adoption of laws which are needed to solve pressing problems. Our faction has already submitted some proposals to the parliament's secretariat. We think that the following important issues should be considered:

First, on the basis of the experience of advanced countries, it should be introduced by law that most of the deputies of representative bodies of power of all levels are elected on party lists.

Second, there should be a division between political parties into ruling and opposition ones according to the number of seats they have in parliament, and their status, rights and duties should be defined by the law.

Third, President Islam Karimov's recent idea to transform the Supreme Assembly into a bicameral parliament should be actively supported and realized.

Fourth, the present electoral system should be improved. Elections to parliament and local councils should be held separately, and the election code should be amended accordingly. This will ensure that political parties pay enough attention to elections to local councils.

The law on elections should also include a provision that a political party can nominate candidates for parliament and local councils only out of its members. The existing law allows members of political parties to be nominated by other organizations and this is confusing both for political parties and voters.

It is especially important that the election code clearly defines the status of observers. There were cases when observers were not allowed to monitor the process of voting and vote-counting at some polling stations and were not even told the results.

n official on the Board of an Uzbek-British joint venture of the British American Tobacco Co. told Itar-Tass on Tuesday that about 2,000 million "Made in Uzbekistan" cigarettes are to be exported this year. Last year the JV exported more than 1,000 million cigarettes worth 5,000 USD to ten countries.

The British company is one of major investors to the Uzbek economy. Its equity share in the JV charter capital is 97 percent. The overall cost of the project is 292 million USD, with 247 million USD being already used. Out of the sum, 100 million USD were used to build a tobacco factory in Samarkand. The full rated capacity of the factory is 12,000 million cigarettes a year.

he construction of the "Shahidlar khotirasi" [In memory of martyrs] memorial complex to the martyrs of the Soviet regime is under way on the bank of the Bozsu river in Yunusobod district of the Uzbek capital, Tashkent.

The report said that President Islam Karimov had carefully studied the initial project for the memorial, expressed his views and introduced many changes to the draft. It quoted him as saying: "The purpose of creating this memorial complex is firstly, to perpetuate the sacred memory of our forefathers who fought for our life today and fell victim to repressions; secondly, to prove and explain to people, to create a belief in their minds that justice will always win; thirdly, to explain to each person, especially to our younger generation, that not the world we are living in but memory is forever".

There were dozens of places in Uzbekistan where "tens of thousands of devoted people of the nation were killed even without being tried" and there were three secret places near the memorial complex where "the enemies of the people" were killed, the report said.

The purpose of "bloodthirsty colonialism" was to kill our forefathers' freedom-loving spirit, and thousands of innocent people fell victim to the repressive regime "without being charged with anything", the report added. Work on the construction site which will occupy 17 ha of land is in full swing, the report concluded. (Narodnoe Slovo)

ts negative impact when used irrationally was mentioned at a meeting at the international ECOSAN foundation which gathered together representatives of public organizations, ambassadors of various foreign countries, heads of representative offices of international organizations, ecologists and journalists.

The problem discussed was extraordinary: the Arnasay lakes are seeping out onto the territories of three Regions in Uzbekistan, Navoi, Syrdarya and Dzhizak Regions. The reason is not that there happened to be an awful lot of water this year, but that on average twice as much water as usual is being released daily from the Toktogul reservoir in neighbouring Kyrgyzstan. This is explained by the work of hydro-electric power stations. Then these waters flow into the Chardara reservoir on the territory of Kazakhstan, from which they flow down to the Syrdarya river and the Arnasay lakes. It happened that in years with low water level, the flow capacity of the Syrdarya has decreased, its bed has become muddy and there is a great deal of development activity on its banks, and so on. Besides this, its estuary freezes in wintertime which also restricts the flow capacity. In short, the natural channel has been reduced in size and the waters flow into the Arnasay hollow.

The big system of lakes formed here in 1969 when more than 21 cu km of water were released from Chardara reservoir and the area enveloped by it reached 2,000 sq km. Then the level of water in the lakes fell, and water quality deteriorated. Starting in 1993, the release of water from Chardara resumed. As a result of the rise in the water level, more and more territory remained under water.

This year the problem has become even worse. The total rise in the water level in February compared with January 1993 was 7.6 m while the area of the reservoir increased by 3,258 sq km. Pastures, arable land, wells, electric power lines and economic facilities are being flooded. The country's national economy has already been considerably damaged.

Specialists note that drastic changes in the lakes' water level are not only having a negative impact on the ecological state of the territories around the Arnasay lakes, but are acquiring a more widespread scale. When the water level rises, the infrastructure is damaged and economic facilities are destroyed, while, after the waters recede, the salty soils are difficult to recultivate.

Participants in the meeting at the ECOSAN foundation noted that water resources in the region were being used irrationally and this is leading to an ecological catastrophe, the drying out of the Aral Sea. Now the disaster is continuing to spread and has to be stopped as soon as possible. The problem has to be solved and cardinally. It is possible by combining the efforts of the countries in the region, attracting international organizations and foreign investors.

inancial liberalization is closely connected with convertibility of the national currency. It is a complicated process to make the national currency convertible and requires a whole package of interlinked measures in the monetary, fiscal and foreign trade policies. The introduction of convertibility brings about a result similar to lifting the restrictions on foreign trade and the flow of capital. In a literal sense convertibility means the adoption of a currency regime allowing all economic agents to freely sell or buy foreign currencies.

According to economists from the Economic Studies Centre, the following is necessary to achieve the first stage of national currency convertibility:

1) an exchange rate set at a level which is not in contradiction to the equilibrium of the balance of payments;

2) the availability of sufficient foreign currency reserves and access to foreign currency loans. This is especially important if the authorities want to avoid the possibility of considerable devaluation

3) a stabilizing financial policy is necessary to prevent an excess of domestic demand and an increase in imports which lead to a high balance of payments deficit;

4) the introduction of strict budget restrictions, the abolition of subsidies and concealed forms of subsidies to state enterprises;

5) the adoption of effective measures in the field of privatization and the granting of equal rights to engage in foreign economic activity to all subjects of the economy. Domestic producers must be interested and able to react to market conditions in order to take advantage of all the benefits offered by a convertible currency.

he total volume of cotton fibre Uzbekistan produced in 1999 was 1.02m tonnes, `Biznes-Vestnik Vostoka' has learnt at the Uzgoskhlopkopromsbyt [Uzbek state cotton industry and sale] association. This is 120,000 tonnes lower than the 1998 figure. There is no need to talk about a cotton shortage in the storehouses of world producers, therefore any reports of a decline in production will have the effect of pushing up prices, which over the past year have drifted in one direction - down.

The fall in cotton production last year was due to the fact that domestic cotton mills were processing the 1998 harvest. A record low amount of raw cotton for recent years, only 3.26m tonnes, was brought in in 1998. In 1998 Uzbekistan's cotton ginneries processed 1,141,000 tonnes of cotton fibre; 960,400 tonnes was shipped for export. Export sales of cotton fibre 1,361,000,000 dollars and cotton fibre accounted for 38.6 per cent of total exports compared with 36 per cent in 1997.

According to the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC), by the middle of January 2000 Uzbekistan had concluded contracts to export about 650,000 tonnes of cotton fibre from last year's harvest, which is more than 64 per cent of the expected export volume. By this time 200,000 tonnes of fibre had effectively been shipped to purchasers.

At the same time, Cotton Outlook experts believe, traders in Uzbek cotton are trying as far as possible to hold back the unsold cotton, pending a more profitable state of the market. At the beginning of February the Cotlook Index A rose by 23 dollars, with its price increasing to 1,133 a tonne.

zbek President Islam Karimov has outlined six priorities which he said must be tackled to ensure children grow up healthy in Uzbekistan. Addressing the commission for supervising the implementation of the For a Healthier Generation state programme at the presidential residence outside the capital on 24th February, Karimov said girls have a poor upbringing and are not prepared for becoming mothers, infant mortality should be tackled, there should be better healthcare for new mothers, the education of pre-school children should be improved and handicapped children should be able to live full lives. Karimov implied that marriages between family members should be discouraged. The following is the text of the report by Uzbek TV on 24th February:

[Presenter] Uzbek President Islam Karimov met the republican commission for coordinating the work of and supervising the implementation of the Soghlom Avlod Uchun [For a Healthier Generation] state programme at the Oq Saroy [presidential] residence [outside the capital].

[Correspondent, over video of Karimov-chaired meeting] As is known, on 5th February our head of state declared the year 2000 the Year of a Healthy Generation. A state programme entitled "Soghlom Avlod" was drawn up in this connection and a special commission set up to implement it.

During the meeting, the leader of Uzbekistan, who once said our children had to be stronger, cleverer and, without fail, happier than us, put forth substantial and specific proposals on how to achieve the set goals, what should be done in order that our general assurance that children are the essence of our lives should not sound like a mere declaration.

For this to happen, all the points of the state programme must be clear. There is, Islam Karimov believes, a need to make specific people more responsible and to create a working system of training. What is at issue here is not merely education, but the comprehensive upbringing of children, enhancing their parents' culture, and improving the quality of the health service. Addressing the participants in the meeting, the head of state specified six priority areas.

[Karimov, shown speaking to the meeting] I specified the first area as follows:

Educating children during school studies and training future parents, especially girls. The upbringing of girls is poor. I would not be even a little mistaken in saying that we have no educational programme in schools and educational establishments.

The second issue: We all say that starting a family with one's relative will create unhealthy circumstances, or rather [an unhealthy] basis, for the birth of one's child. As a rule, unhealthy, or even worse, handicapped children are born [as a result of such a marriage]. We all know about this. I ask a question of myself: what kind of action have we taken to prevent this, what specific measures have we taken? Within public morality, I repeat, we cannot overstep the limits of public morality, the limits of public norms and eventually legislation. However, at the same time, why not take an interest in a marriage when it is registered. If we want to bring up a healthy generation, we must resort to certain methods to ensure public safety. An unhealthy child, a handicapped child is a misfortune to his family, the greatest misfortune.

The third issue: A girl becomes a mother, or rather, she is preparing to be a mother and she is pregnant. This is also a complete area. I ask myself a question: what has been done in Uzbekistan in terms of looking after would-be mothers, what has been done? The service in which health workers make visits to pregnant women's homes is absolutely failing to work and is operating unsystematically. Nobody monitors this service.

The fourth issue: A child is born. The purpose of statistics is to use them. Take infant mortality for children under one year old. This is the most dangerous age group. From this point of view, this area needs special attention. Should we not think about creating a system? What has being done purposefully in our republic, in order not just to decrease the mortality rate - in terms of how a child under one years old is being cared for, what kind of conditions have been created to support his life. Are you sure that the necessary mass vaccination is given to all children under one year old in Uzbekistan? Can you give me a guarantee that this is the case? Frankly. No, you cannot.

The fifth area: A child in the age group from one to five or six years old. This is a long period of time. I would like to say one thing in Russian. There is a saying, or rather it is proven that it is at the age of between one and five or six years old that a person gets 50 per cent of the information he receives during the whole of his life. Seriously, it is what doctors and scientists write. I am not going to try to prove it, but there is such an assumption. Let us explain this assumption to every parent through the TV, the press, and training, by saying: you have given birth to a child, and you have two children under five or six years old. They must be receiving 50 per cent of the information they will get their whole life at that age. Will they not work on their children, then? Who, do you think, is engaged in bringing up a child? The kindergartens we used to have, have been cut in numbers and transformed into some entrepreneurial structures. They are said not to have been profitable. What do we lose? Who is thinking about this?

The sixth field: Children born with a disease. I do not say they are orphans, but they are born handicapped for some reason. They are people too and need or want to live a full life. They may not be able to live the life an able-bodied person lives, but the government's culture and its level of spirituality becomes known through its treatment of the handicapped. This should also be explained to everyone. Some kind of mass action began only last year where people visit the handicapped and demonstrate that visitors come to see children. This is good. But this has to become systematic.

I have just specified all these six areas which, in my view, are very important and each of them is individually significant.

cological security by virtue of its topicality and importance for people ranks amongst the most important problems. Thegeographical position of Uzbekistan predetermines the territory's suspectibility to external ecological threats. The republic is located in the middle of Central Asia and over 80 per cent of its territory are plains, whilst the transborder rivers of the Amudarya and Syrdarya, which make up oasis zones, are susceptible to man-made influences from neighbouring states.

Uzbekistan's territory is susceptible to the impact of dangerous natural processes and phenomena. Earthquakes, spring floods, landslides and mountain torrents are particular threats. Earthquakes might lead to the rupture of the dams of hydrosystems, reservoirs, dykes, tailings dumps and 11 high mountainous lakes both on the territory of Uzbekistan and on the territories of the bordering areas of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

The most acute internal ecological threat to the stable development of Uzbekistan is the fact that land and water resources are limited. The river flow, which forms up in the mountains of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, is mostly used to irrigate the land of the whole Central Asian region. At the same time the volume of annual flow formed up within Uzbekistan accounts for only about 9 per cent of all water resources used for the needs of the national economy, due to which the problem of the balanced use of water becomes acute.

Violation of ecological requirements in most types of land tenure has led to the spread of all types of erosion, decline in the productivity of the available land, and has lead to a decrease in biological diversity and development of the process of desertification. Ecological signs of the economic and demographic burden on the land are increasing. In Uzbekistan, where population density is 51.4 people per square kilometre, there is 0.17 ha of sown area per capita. Given the tendency for population growth, the demographic burden on the land will further increase by 2010.

A serious ecological and social problem for Uzbekistan is that the populatio is poorly supplied with drinking water. The situation in Karakalpakstan, where on average 49.4 per cent of the required amount of drinking water is supplied, is very serious. About 13 per cent of inhabitants in towns and 33 per cent of those in rural areas are not provided with running water in the republic.

There is still a high level of air pollution in towns with a high concentration of industry (Almalyk, Angren, Bekabad, Navoi, Samarkand, Tashkent, Fergana). A serious ecological problem has arisen as a result of the accumulation of over one billion tonnes of industrial and household waste.

Another problem which is of no small importance and which might be described as ecological is that there is still a poor level of ecological education, a great shortage of textbooks and teaching materials and a lack of laboratory ad experimental facilities at educational institutions and preschool establishments. Insufficient ecological propaganda and the fact that the public plays too small a role in solving ecological issues have negative consequences.

mbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the United Kingdom of the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Alisher Fayzullayev has presented his credentials to Queen Elizabeth II.

During the audience Her Highness expressed her respect for the ancient history and centuries-old culture of the Uzbek people. Queen Elizabeth II recalled with warmth President Islam Karimov's visit to London in November 1993, which laid the foundations for advanced development of bilateral relations between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the United Kingdom. In the course of the talks the sides confirmed that both sides were interested in further developing relations of mutually advantageous cooperation.

ell me where you are serving and I will tell what is your life like. This is an army joke which perfectly describes an [Uzbek] Emergency Situation Ministry officer's work. Explosions and earthquakes, mud slides and fires, man-made disasters and other accidents: these are by no means the full list of emergency situations which all subdivisions of the Ministry of Emergency should be prepared for, including the Institute of Civil Defence, which is headed by the doctor of technical sciences, Emergency Situations Ministry Major I.[Ibrohim] Kh.[Khabibullayevich] Khabibullayev.

[Q] Ibrohim Khabibullayevich [Khabibullayev]. As one who took part in drawing up the National Security Doctrine, what in your opinion is the biggest danger of the present day?

[A] In response to your question I would like to look back and produce some facts. Here are statistical data about man-made accidents and disasters that have occurred in Uzbekistan. In 1996 they numbered 10,831, in 1997 there were 10,655, in 1998 the figure was 10,654 and in 1999 there were 10,030. The number of emergency situations due to natural causes were several times fewer: 206 in 1996, 283 in 1997, 815 in 1998 and 273 in 1999.

A breakdown of man-made emergency situations in the republic last year shows that most catastrophes and accidents happened on the roads, 10,004 cases or 99.7 per cent; there were eight accidents on main pipelines; five explosions and accidents at chemically hazardous facilities; nine accidents and fires involving power supply and utility systems. Last year the total damage from man-made disasters was 1,687,600 million soms.

[Q] What are the reasons for man-made disasters?

[A] The main reason is tht the main production assets in power engineering, the fuel sector and the chemical industry are obsolete. Little is being done to modernize, repair and maintain the equipment. Security measures and traffic regulations are often violated. Workers at enterprises do not know how to behave if there is an accident. In general, the population cannot protect themselves. Ask any resident of Uzbekistan: what should one do if there is a fire, a snow avalanche, mud slide or earthquake? A few will be able to give a sensible reply. The reason lies also in our illiteracy as regards emergency situations, as well as in the lack of funds for preventive measures and dealing with accidents and natural disasters.

anking system workers have held a meeting to review the results of last year's work and the pressing issues set by President Islam Karimov in his speech at a Cabinet of Ministers meeting on last year's results. It was noted at the meeting presided over by the chairman of the republic's Central bank, Fayzulla Mullajonov, that in 1999 the financial situation in the country improved and the monetary and credit policy became stronger. The volume of cash put into circulation throughout the territory [of Uzbekistan] was lower than planned, while surplus cash was taken out of circulation in Tashkent and Fergana Regions and in the city of Tashkent.

As a result of consistent reforms in the system, the number of general bank assets increased by 48 per cent; 57 per cent of all assets take the form of long- and medium-term credits. The total number of commercial banks' investments increased 1.5 times and amount to 144bn soms. An additional 15bn soms have been attracted into charter capital. The number of the commercial banks' shareholders has considerably increased.

At the same time, it was noted that the work of some commercial banks does not meet the requirements of the present day. The heads of these banks were sharply criticized for taking a superficial attitude to their responsibilities and allowing too much bureaucracy.

stana and Tashkent are currently holding a "normal dialogue" about the border issues, Minister of Foreign Affairs Yerlan Idrisov told journalists during his visit to South Kazakhstan Region [26th February]. On the whole, Idrisov described the situation on the border as "absolutely normal and calm". Idrisov also said that a draft agreement on introducing a visa regime had been sent to the Uzbek side. According to his information, talks on introducing a visa regime will be held in Astana on 29th February. The Uzbek delegation at the talks will be headed by the deputy foreign minister [Isan Mustafayev].

The foreign minister noted that the issue of introducing a visa regime between the neighbouring states was "pretty complicated and affects the rights of a large number of citizens of the two countries". Idrisov visited South Kazakhstan Region's Saryagach District, which borders on Uzbekistan. The foreign minister held a meeting with akims (heads) of South Kazakhstan Region border districts and heads of the regional law-enforcement agencies. The foreign minister told the meeting that extremism was a "headache" for South Kazakhstan Region. He stressed that in this case Afghanistan was "the main source of trouble", because about 65 per cent of all the drugs produced in that country goes in transit to Europe via Central Asia. In Idrisov's opinion "the transparency of borders and imperfect legislative base in the transition period" serve to promote this, as well as smuggling of arms. Besides this, the foreign minister stressed, "the issue of illegal migration is also acute" in the Region. After the foreign minister's introductory speech, journalists were asked to leave the hall, after which the sitting was held behind closed doors.

Idrisov was accompanied on his trip to South Kazakhstan Region by the Kazakh ambassador to Uzbekistan, Umirzak Uzbekov, the director of the Kazakh Foreign Ministry department for the CIS countries, Asan Kozhakov, and the director of the Foreign Minstry consular service department, Valikhan Konurbayev.