he second phase of the military exercises, codenamed the Southern Shield of the CIS -- 2000, is to take place at the Termez military range of Uzbekistan on Monday. The first phase of the exercises is under way in Tajikistan with the participation of military units from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Russia. The military attaches of many embassies accredited in Uzbekistan expressed a desire to attend the exercises. Russian Defence Minister Igor Sergeyev is expected to arrive in Termez to watch the exercises.

residents Saparmyrat Turkmenbashy Niyazov of Turkmenistan and President Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan had a telephone conversation today, during which they discussed important matters of bilateral and international relations of mutual interest.

Proceeding from the view that relations between the two fraternal states have always been and continue to be based on mutual respect and on the common interests of both sides, the leaders of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan agreed to instruct the relevant bodies in their countries to prepare a draft bilateral interstate agreement on determining the state borders, which are known as frontiers of friendship between the two peoples.

The presidents pointed out that there is currently a well-established system of border, customs and public health control operating on the state border between Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan and protecting the interests of the two states. Close cooperation between the relevant agencies in the two countries is maintaining the functioning of this system.

As a most pressing topic of the current time the two presidents, Saparmyrat Turkmenbashy and Islam Karimov, recalled the rational distribution and purposeful use of water resources, an issue which concerns the daily life of their two peoples and also of the other peoples of the region. The two sides stated that Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan enjoy complete consensus on this issue. The leaders of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan came to the conclusion that these [water-related] issues should be regulated on the basis of bilateral relations and that any international assistance should not be accompanied by undesirable politicization. (Turkmen TV)

t the talks on delimitation of the state border with Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan will take as a basis the last documents on the administrative border between the two countries adopted in Soviet times, Kazakh Foreign Minister Yerlan Idrisov told a press conference on Saturday [1st April].

The administrative border line between the two neighbouring countries was changed several times during Soviet times. The last documents on the border between the two countries were adopted in 1960s and also in 1971, the minister said. The minister stressed that Kazakhstan, which is building a law-based state, would take a "consistent" approach in solving this issue.

Speaking about negotiations launched this year between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan on delimitation of the border, Idrisov said that they were going to plan. Following the two rounds of talks held in Tashkent and Astana, the frontier point at which the territories of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan converge has already been determined and the sides have also reached agreement on the topographical maps which will be used to determine the state border lines between the countries.

In response to questions from journalists, he underlined that there was "no tension on the border" and that "the situation is under control". The minister said that Astana was relying on the principle that the issues of delimitation and subsequent demarcation of the state border should be carried out on the basis of law. Kazakhstan "will not allow" frontier posts to be arbitrarily put up on its territory, Idrisov said.

At the same time, he admitted that those people living in the border areas were voicing concern over the planned introduction of a visa regime between the two countries. In this respect, the minister once again underlined that the initiative to introduce a visa regime had been taken by the Uzbek side. He said that at the negotiations on this, Kazakhstan was currently trying to obtain a preferential visa regime for those people living in the border districts.

he head of the Russian Defence Ministry's main directorate for international military cooperation, Leonid Ivashov, has told journalists that the ministry thinks that Uzbekistan should join the Shanghai Five. The group currently consists of Russia, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

Ivashov said that the group is working at the level of defence ministers and even heads of state to boost mutual confidence and to reduce the armed forces in the zone 100 km broad along the border [between the CIS and China]. But, more than that, it is becoming a real regional security structure in Central Asia. Ivashov said that Uzbek participation in this international organization is essential "even though Uzbekistan does not have a mutual border with China"... (RIA)

IA Director George Tenet's two-day visit to Central Asia is taking place in an atmosphere of maximum secrecy. 'Kommersant', however, has learned certain details. 'Kommersant' correspondent Yuriy Mashin reports the details from Tashkent.

Tenet's visit to Uzbekistan ended yesterday. The main US intelligence officer had talks with Rustam Inoyatov, head of the Uzbek National Security Service, for one and a half hours. Neither side announced the signing of any documents.

According to the newspaper's information, the establishment of closer cooperation between the two special services in a "hot" region with the aim of countering the expansion of Wahhabism and the drugs mafia was the subject of Tenet's talks in Uzbekistan. The Americans have expressed readiness to provide their Uzbek counterparts with satellite intelligence information and special equipment. For his part, George Tenet paid tribute to what he called the fruitful work of Uzbek intelligence in adjacent countries.

Cooperation with the CIA is a new stage in the development of contacts between the Uzbek power departments and their US counterparts. The country's Defence Ministry had established this collaboration even earlier and now regularly receives US military equipment (primarily Hammer jeeps). The volume of deliveries has already amounted to 3m dollars. And Uzbek soldiers actively participate in military exercises within the NATO Partnership for Peace programme. (Kommersant)

ven though America is squeezing Russia out of Central Asia, Moscow and Washington could still cooperate to check spreading Islamic fundamentalism, says foreign politics observer. It looks as if in Central Asia, the Americans have decided to pick up where the British left off, IZVESTIA writes with reference to Rudyard Kipling's writings about the British cloak-and-dagger men's "big game" at the end of the 19th century. Kipling's intelligence officers were bent on preventing Russia from hoisting its flag in Central Asia.

Therefore, there was really nothing surprising about the news of the recent visit of CIA Director George Tenet to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Officials in Washington simply announced that in Astana and Tashkent, the chief American spook had discussed problems of terrorism and nuclear weapons proliferation. The unnamed officials also hinted that there were apprehensions that Russia, now under the rule of President-elect Vladimir Putin, might try to intensify its influence on the power structures in the Asian members of the CIS.

Next in line to visit Central Asia is FBI chief Louis Freeh who is to open an American mission on juridical questions in the capital of Kazakhstan. According to the official version, the mission is to work on problems of terrorism, narcotics traffic and organized crime.

But is that all? the author queries. It is obvious that the FBI agents will have the opportunity to quite legally establish contacts with the secret services in Kazakhstan.

And last but not least, Washington's interest in the situation in the former Soviet republics will most certainly be reaffirmed by none other than Madeleine Albright, U.S. Secretary of State, who is to travel to Kazakhstan, Kyrghyzstan and Uzbekistan in the latter part of April.

Commenting on this series of visits by top U.S. officials to these former Soviet republics, American political scientist, Ted Carpenter, believes the purpose is to establish an American sphere of influence on Russia's southern flank. Another purpose is to minimize Russia's and Iran's role. But the real essence of the idea is to steer the oil- and gas-pipelines from these young states, rich with energy resources, to bypass the territories of Russia and Iran.

Such are the elements of "the big game" that is unfolding on the Asian "underbelly" of Russia, the author points out. Incidentally, he continues, these steps being taken by the Americans should not be viewed exclusively through the prism of threats to Russia's interests. True, the interests of the two countries do clash, but in some respects, they also coincide.

Both Moscow and Washington would like to set up a barrier to check the spread of Islamic fundamentalism. And since Moscow is unable to do anything to prevent the spread of America's influence in the zone any way, the author reasons, it would not be a bad idea to come to terms [Moscow and Washington] to coordinate their policies.

True, this is not an "ordinary" task, but that is what diplomacy is all about - to find points of contact in conflicting situations, the author concludes. (Izvestia)

.S. instructors are training Uzbek troops to combat terrorism and prevent anticipated attacks by Islamic extremists in this Central Asian republic, an Uzbek defense ministry spokesman said on Wednesday. The joint military exercises being held near Tashkent this week aimed to teach Uzbek soldiers to repulse armed terrorist attacks, Kamil Dzhabarov told AFP.

"American instructors will teach Uzbek troops to conduct armed action against terrorist bandit groups in the mountains," Dzhabarov said. The exercises -- being carried out as part of NATO's Partnership for Peace program -- began last week with courses on communications and medical training, a spokesman at the US embassy in Tashkent said.

This week, Uzbek soldiers were learning how to prevent ambushes and techniques for fighting in mountainous areas, he said. Islamic extremists invaded the mountains of southern Kyrgyzstan in August and took four Japanese geologists.

The Japanese were released unharmed after several months and the rebel groups retreated south into Afghanistan. But as the snow melts from mountain passes this spring, Central Asian defense officials worry the rebels will return.

Last week, Uzbek troops joined Russian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz and Tajik soldiers in similar joint military exercises in Tajikistan. In February 1999, Islamic extremists trained in Chechnya and Afghanistan were blamed for a series of blasts in the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, which killed 16 people and wounded 128.

ussian President-elect Vladimir Putin and Uzbek President Islam Karimov had a telephone conversation on Wednesday to discuss Russian-Uzbek contacts at different levels, pressing issues of bilateral ties as well as cooperation to ensure stability and security in the Central Asian region, the presidential press service reported.

Pentagon effort to help former Soviet states develop border patrols and customs services bore fruit last week when customs authorities in Uzbekistan seized a truck carrying at least 10 lead-lined cylinders bound for Pakistan and containing traces of radioactive material.

Defense officials released new details about the shipment, including that it was destined to Pakistani firm of Akhmajan Khaji Er Mohammad from the city of Quetta, in Pakistan. The Defense Department has been providing both training and equipment to former Soviet states to help establish a professional customs service since 1997, said Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. Craig Quigley.

"We are heartened by what we've seen," Quigley said.

Uzbek authorities are analyzing the contents of the cylinders, a process which should take about a week, according to Quigley. The truck was detained on March 30.

The chief Customs official at Gisht Kuprik checkpoint, Akhmadjon Jumaniyazov, said the truck's customs declaration said the cargo contained 23.2 tons of stainless steel and scrap waste. But during a routine check, the officials found the level of radiation that exceeded allowed norms.

The institute of nuclear physics fixed the dose gamma-radiation rate issued by the freight at 5,000 micro roentgen per hour, which exceeds permissible level by 100 times. The truck, being driven by an Iranian citizen Ali Rakhman Najaf, traveled from Kazakhstan and was en route to Pakistan through Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Iran.

Bakhit Abylgazin, an official of the Kazakh Embassy in Uzbekistan, and representatives of Kazakh customs and border guards confirmed the attempt to smuggle radioactive substance. The truck and the driver were handed over to Kazakhstan authorities on Saturday, April 1. Jumaniyazov told United Press International: "We think the driver was unaware of what he carried."