ajik President Emomali Rahmonov and Uzbek President Islam Karimov had face-to-face talks today. The presidents exchanged views mainly on future economic and trade, scientific and cultural cooperation. They expressed concern over the situation in neighbouring Afghanistan. The Afghan problem can only be solved through an armistice and common sense, they said.

The two countries's delegations led by their foreign ministers held talks on some issues of mutual interest. The delegations also held separate talks with the participation of the two presidents. They discussed important issues of all-round cooperation between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It was said at the meeting that both countries's people would benefit from the cooperation in all spheres of life.

After that, a ceremony of signing a number of agreements on bilateral cooperation was held. The Tajik and Uzbek presidents expressed their satisfaction with the signing of these agreements. Following the ceremony, the two countries' leaders gave a news conference on the results of the talks and the agreements and answered local and foreign journalists' questions.

President Karimov also met some public figures and representatives of the intelligentsia in Dushanbe. There is a hope that the agreements signed as a result of this visit will boost bilateral relations and economic and trade cooperation between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

ooperation with fraternal Uzbekistan is one of the most important prerequisites for strengthening the independence of our state," Tajik President Emomali Rahmonov has said in Dushanbe. He stressed that the treaty on eternal friendship, which was signed today, "is aimed at developing cooperation and constitutes a new milestone in bilateral relations".

Rahmonov said: "Uzbekistan has a priority place in the foreign policy of our state", it plays a special role "as an important partner in trade, economic, scientific, technical and humanitarian fields". The Tajik president expressed satisfaction with the results of the visit to the republic by Uzbek President Islam Karimov, noting that Tajik-Uzbek relations, having stood the test of time, had reached a new level.

In addition to the treaty on eternal friendship, the sides signed a memorandum on the delimitation of the state border between the two countries and agreements on exchange of legal information and on cooperation in forensic research.

t the latest working meeting in Tashkent, Kazakh and Uzbek customs officials sorted the problem of the residents of the Kazakh border village of Lenin Zholy, allowing them to visit the Saryagach District centre by the shortest route, via Uzbek territory, the Kazakh Customs Committee told the Interfax-Kazakhstan agency today. According to the committee's press service, the local administration is to present to the Uzbek customs office a list of the local residents.

s part of Uzbek President Islam Karimov's official visit [to Tajikistan] Tajik-Uzbek talks were held on 15th June. Khovar news agency has learned from the presidential press secretary of Tajikistan that Tajik President Emomali Rahmonov and Uzbek President Islam Karimov held one-to-one talks.

Tajik President Emomali Rahmonov noted that the Uzbek president's current visit was of historical importance. The heads of state emphasized that the current official visit not only made it possible to work out common visions and common approaches on bilateral and other issues but also consolidated the process of establishing full confidence in the relations between the fraternal countries at all levels of state management. The two sides were unanimous that the treaty of eternal friendship should not be formal and symbolic in nature but should be constantly complemented with specific content on a reciprocal basis.

The presidents paid great importance to economic cooperation for which the successful completion of the peace process created favourable conditions. In this respect it was stated that it was necessary to work out in detail issues of initiating Tajik-Uzbek production and cooperative ties as a predominent form of economic integration.

They expressed their readiness to exchange experience in the field of economic development on a stable basis. The heads of state favoured stepping up the role of the Tajik-Uzbek joint commission on bilateral cooperation in the system of interstate relations and the need to analyse over 100 signed bilateral documents to determine their quality and check to what extent they had been implemented.

They expressed their interest in developing cooperation in such spheres, like the mining industry, communication, hydraulic power engineering and water utilization, crossflow of electric power, delivery of gas and oil products, the construction industry and others.

zbek President Islam Karimov's official visit to Tajikistan not only allowed the two countries to work out common approaches towards various issues but also strengthened trust in bilateral relations at all levels, Tajik President Emomali Rakhmonov said. Rakhmonov had a personal meeting with Karimov in Dushanbe on Thursday, the Tajik president's press secretary Zafar Saidov told Itar-Tass.

He said the two presidents are unanimous that the treaty of friendship should not be formal and stressed the need to fill it with concrete substance. He noted that Rakhmonov and Karimov noted the importance of invigorating bilateral economic relations as an important element in economic integration.

Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have agreed to set up a joint intergovernmental commission on the delimitation of the state border. The two countries are beginning talks on the juridical procedure in compliance with the norms of international law, according to a memorandum signed on the results of Karimov's official visit to Tajikistan.

The delimitation will be based on the existing administrative territorial border. Tajikistan and Uzbekistan intend to regulate the regime on the border in order to ensure border guard, customs, migration, sanitary and other forms of control. Rakhmonov also said "cooperation with fraternal Uzbekistan is one of the most important prerequisites for strengthening our national independence."

He stressed that a treaty of friendship signed on Thursday "pursues the purpose of promoting cooperation between the two countries and is a new landmark in their bilateral relations". Rakhmonov noted that "Uzbekistan holds pride of place in our country's external policy" and is "our important partner in commerce, economy, science, technology, and in the humanitarian sphere".

The Tajik president expressed his satisfaction with the results of Karimov's visit to the republic and pointed out that the Tajik-Uzbek relations had risen to a new level after a period of difficult trials. In addition, the sides also signed an agreement to exchange legal information, and an agreement to cooperate in drawing up expert court testimonies.

esults Thursday from the $140,000 Tashkent Open WTA tournament:

Singles Second Round

Sarah Pitkowski, France, def. Anca Barna, Germany, 6-4, 6-4.

Anna Zaporozhanova, Ukraine, def. Petra Mandula, Hungary, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Tatiana Poutchek, Belarus, def. Yekaterina Sysoyeva, Russia, 6-2, 6-2.

Tzippora Obziler, Israel, def. Wynne Prakusya, Indonesia, 5-7, 6-4, 7-5.

Iroda Tulyaganova, Uzbekistan, def. Ting Li, China, 6-1, 6-3.

im Giniyatullin [head of the Global Environmental Fund (GEF) project of the Aral Salvation Foundation]: water is Allah's blessing granted to the people

[Q] As our wise ancestors have said the world exists thanks to the four elements: land, water, air and fire. Among them, water is a unique miracle of Mother Nature, a priceless gift from Allah.

To use water, which is source of our life, reasonably and to treat it properly mean not only an economic for production or a hydro-technical undertaking but a spiritual issue of great importance.

In recent years the GEF agency of the Aral Salvation Fund has been working effectively for the settlement of the water issue. Rim Abdulovich, will you tell us about the aims and tasks of the GEF agency formed to settle water issues in the five Central Asian states.

[A] Hundreds of small canals, springs and even small rivers disappeared during the Soviet era. We would help our region if we, the five states of Central Asia, manage to join and positively settle this issue. If today, 100bn cubic metres of water are used in the region, Uzbekistan accounts for more than 60 per cent of it. Out of 7.5bn ha of irrigated lands 4,300,000 ha are in our country. In Uzbekistan, 99 per cent of the farm produce are grown on irrigated lands. To jointly and positively solve the problems the five states adopted a programme of Management of the Water Resources of the Aral Sea Basin and the Environment. The project opened up a new direction not only in the Aral Sea but the entire region.

Uzbekistan has centuries-old history of farming; the more canals the more water is wasted; the country has nearly 300,000 km long canals where 30-40 per cent of the flowing waters are wasted; today, people's attitudes are changing: they try to water their farms only twice instead of four times, thus using annually 54-56bn cu.m. of water against 60-62bn cu. m. in mid 1990s.

At present the Aral Sea is fed by the wates of the Amudarya river, which are mainly used by Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Waters of the Syrdarya river are not reaching the sea. The Aral Sea is now receiving 15-20bn cu.m. of water 60-70 per cent of which account for the Amudarya. Uzbekistan is supplying 60-70 per cent of the existing saved waters. In other words, we are contributing to the sea as much water as we have used in the past years. This is a result of our nationwide cause and government policy. Positive works were carried out in the years when the Fund was headed by our president. This is a result of the formation of our people's attitude to land, water and nature and the revival of the respect for the water which we have inherited from our ancestors.

[Q] Some 30-40 per cent of the water used by the five states are stored in water reservoirs and released in summer. What is the present state of these water reservoirs? What will happen to the region if the reservoirs start to go into a state of disrepair or their contents change?

[A] The GEF project consists of five parts. In order to prevent the danger you are speaking about the following is offered: every state will indicate two of their water reservoirs, 10 in all, and it will be decided when to open and when to close them, measures are to be outlined to inform the region's population in time or to prevent any threat of damage if such occurs. We are planning to complete the current works on these water reserves by the end of 2000. This is the first aim of the GEF project. The second aim is as follows: although the five related peoples have different economies, we still drink water from the same sources. If the Khujand Region consumes more water or pollutes the water with wastes - who and how can we measure its quality?

Foreign states already use water meters on jointly used rivers; to prevent any problems in this sphere 25 check-points are being built in water boundaries of our country.

The third part of the project relates to the preservation of the Sudochye Lake in Karakalpakstan. This is the place where birds included in the Red Book have a rest on their way from the north to the south and back to the north from the south. If the lake dries out 10-15 kinds of the world's birds will become extinct. Sudochye is not far from the people's settlement. The fourth part of the project is based on the idea that mankind can not only damage nature but also revive it. The aim is to restore 100 per cent of the fauna of the past. The lake is located on the territory of Uzbekistan and so our efforts in this sphere will only add to our prestige. The project is under preparation. In September, contractors will be chosen through a tender and practical work will start. In recent years, certain positive works have been carried out in our country and new methods of work are being looked for. Let us remember that water is Allah's great blessing.

eaders of four of the five Central Asian states said on Wednesday that international organisations including the United Nations were not doing enough to end Afghanistan's long-running civil war. The resource-rich region, once part of the Soviet Union, has grown increasingly alarmed over the threat to stability from rebels who member states say are being trained on territory controlled by Afghanistan's ruling Taleban Islamic movement.

Central Asia is also crossed by a booming trade route for Afghan opium and heroin passing north to Russia and beyond. The Taleban has denied that it either helps or turns a blind eye to the training of militants on its soil.

"We, the heads of four Central Asian states, signed an appeal to the international community, the U.N., OSCE (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) and OIC (Organisation of Islamic Conference)," Uzbek President Islam Karimov said in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe.

"The gist is that we are not happy with the attention these international organisations are paying to the war in Afghanistan which has been going on for 20 years," he told a news briefing after a meeting of the Central Asian Economic Association.

The association unites Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, both of which border Afghanistan, and Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Karimov repeated his view that Afghanistan hosted training centres for "bandits" and "terrorist groups" who fought in conflicts around the world.

He has previously blamed a bomb attack in the Uzbek capital Tashkent last year on members of the country's extremist Islamic opposition movement who had links with Afghanistan. Karimov narrowly avoided death in the blasts, which killed at least 16 people and shook his country's reputation for stability. A three-month invasion of Kyrgyzstan last year by hundreds of armed rebels who entered from Tajikistan was also linked by officials to the Uzbek opposition and Afghanistan.

U.N. PEACE INITIATIVES SEEN FRUITLESS

"Of great regret to us is the fact that all U.N. initiatives to seek peace in Afghanistan remain fruitless," Karimov said.

Uzbekistan and Tajikistan are part of the so-called "six plus two" group -- Afghanistan's six neighbours plus the United States and Russia -- which is seeking an end to the war. But the United Nations has blamed some member states in turn for supporting one of the two sides in the Afghan conflict, thereby fuelling fighting between the Taleban and an opposition alliance led by ethnic Tajik Ahmad Shah Masood.

The Taleban accuses Iran, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan of supporting the opposition, which in turn accuses Pakistan of backing the Taleban. Karimov also urged greater efforts to address the problem of narcotics production and trafficking in Afghanistan.

"These efforts, which the international community makes with such fanfare, to unite forces...to create a barrier along the narcotics route remain purely declarations," he said.

he presidents of four Central Asian countries on Wednesday urged the international community to take steps to settle the conflict in neighboring Afghanistan. The leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan made the appeal at a summit of the Central Asian Economic Community in Dushanbe, the Tajik capital, the Interfax news agency reported.

Uzbek President Islam Karimov told a press conference that the appeal is addressed first of all to the U.N. Security Council, the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

"The essence of the appeal is that we are not satisfied with the amount of attention the U.N. and other international structures are paying to the war in Afghanistan, which has already been continuing for over 20 years," Karimov said.

He said the Afghan problem is not a local one and that it has assumed a dangerous nature outside the Central Asian region, as Afghanistan has become a training ground for bandit formations where "international terrorists of all hues (are trained and taught) and sent to different parts of the world."

The states bordering Afghanistan cannot look calmly at "the creeping expansion of religious extremism and international terrorism" coming from this country, Karimov said. All five states of the region, including Turkmenistan, cannot fight the continuous spread of drug trafficking routes defended by armed formations without the help of international forces, the U.N. and other great powers which themselves are becoming areas for dumping drugs, Karimov said.

He criticized the United Nations for failing to achieve any fruitful outcome in its initiatives on achieving peace in Afghanistan.

"Therefore we have grounds today to address the U.N. and its Security Council on behalf of the states that directly feel this danger, so that they take more efficient measures to neutralize the threat and bring about peace in Afghanistan," Karimov said.

ajik President Emomali Rahmonov awarded on 14th June two well-known Uzbek singers the honorary titles of Honoured Artiste of Tajikistan, Tajik radio reported the next day. The presidential decrees read out by the announcer said that Uzbekistan's well-known pop singer, Farrukh Zokirov, and famous lyrical singer, Mardon Mavlonov, who is an ethnic Tajik, were awarded the title of Honorary Singer of Tajikistan. The two singers are visiting Tajikistan as part of an Uzbek delegation led by Uzbek President Islam Karimov.

n Uzbek delegation is expected to arrive in Bishkek, the Kyrgyz capital, to continue talks on new tariffs for Uzbek natural gas supplies to Kyrgyzstan, the head of the department for the fuel and industrial complex, infrastructure and communications under the Kyrgyz prime minister's office, Sapar Balkybayev, told a news conference.

The Kyrgyz side proposed a new scheme of payment for Uzbek natural gas - only in hard currency and at reduced prices (35 dollars for 1,000 cu.m.). At the moment Kyrgyzstan is making 40 per cent of payments for [Uzbek] natural gas in hard currency and the remaining part - in kind. The Uzbek side agreed to the new payment scheme.

"There are still disagreements on a number of points of the new payment scheme, in particular, Uzbekistan has set an unacceptable condition that 20 per cent of monthly payments should be made in advance," Sapar Balkybayev said.

At the moment, Uzbekistan is supplying Kyrgyzstan with natural gas at 50 dollars for 1,000 cu.m.. According to Balkybayev, Kyrgyzstan's debt for Uzbek gas supplies this year amounted to 1.14m dollars to be paid in hard currency and 3.3m dollars to be paid in kind.

Kyrgyzstan fully paid the hard currency part of its debt for the supplies in 1999 and has to pay another 2.8m dollars in kind. According to Balkybayev, Uzbekistan has not insisted on the immediate payment of the debt yet. Meanwhile, the debt of the population to the Kyrgyzgaz [Kyrgyz gas] joint-stock company has grown from 90m soms to 141.9m soms, which is approximately 3m dollars.

esults Tuesday of the $140,000 Tashkent Open 2000 WTA Tour hard-court tournament:

Singles First Round

Sarah Pitkowski (2), France, def. Anastassia Rodionova, Russia, 6-1, 6-3.

Li Ting, China, def. Alina Jidkova (3), Russia, 6-4, 7-6 (4).

Yi Jingqian (4), China, def. Liliya Biktyakova, Uzbekistan, 6-2, 6-0.

Iroda Tulyaganova, Uzbekistan, def. Adriana Serra-Zanetti, Italy, 6-2, 6-3.

Francesca Lubiani, Italy, def. Giulia Casoni (6), Italy, 7-6 (7), 6-3.

Tzippora Obziler, Israel, def. Catalina Cristea (7), Romania, 7-5, 6-3.

Petra Mandula (8), Hungary, def. Kamile Dadakhodjaeva, Uzbekistan, 6-2, 6-2.

Wynne Prakusya, Indonesia, def. Karin Kschwendt, Austria, 6-4, 6-0.

Anca Barna, Germany, def. Eugenia Koulikovskaya, Russia, 6-2, 6-1.

Ekaterina Syssoeva, Russia, def. Kim Eun-ha Kim, South Korea, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6).

Nadejda Ostrovskaya, Belarus, def. Benjamas Sangaram, Thailand, 6-0, 6-0.

Anna Zaporozhanova, Ukraine, def. Li Na, China, 0-6, 6-1, 6-1.

Doubles First Round

Angelica Bachmann, Germany, and Karin Kschwendt, Austria, def. Gouina Fattakhetdinova and Anastassia Rodionova, Russia, 6-2, 7-5

n June 14 President Islam Karimov of the Republic of Uzbekistan left for the Tajik capital of Dushanbe to take part in another meeting of the council of the member states of the Central Asian Economic Community. Today, leaders of the member states of the council of the Central Asian Economic Community - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan - will have a meeting in Tajikistan. The foreign ministers of the community member states will also have a meeting today. Then interstate documents will be signed. At the end of the meeting a news conference will be held for the mass media.

Islam Karimov, will also pay an official visit to the Republic of Tajikistan. June 15 the presidents of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan will have a one-to-one meeting. First in a limited contingent and then with the presidents taking part, enlarged Uzbek-Tajik discussions will continue. Important documents on developing bilateral cooperation are expected to be signed. Meetings between President Karimov and the scientific and creative intelligentsia and representatives of the Dushanbe city public are also planned.

residents Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan and Askar Akayev of Kyrgyzstan have arrived on June 14 in Dushanbe to attend the summit of the intergovernmental council of the heads of the Central Asian Economic Community (CAEC) member countries made up of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, Tajik radio reported. The summit is to be held in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe on 14th June.

he first meeting of the Uzbek-Austrian joint commission for trade and economic cooperation opened today at the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations.

Opening the meeting, the first deputy minister of foreign economic relations and the commission's co-chairman from the Uzbek side, Ahmedov, spoke in detail about the progress of attracting foreign investment into our republic, the work of joint ventures, the privileges and legal guarantees given to foreign investors and the conditions created for them so that they could freely operate [in the country] and other issues.

The director-general of the foreign economic relations department of Austria's Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and the joint commission's co-chairman from the Austrian side, [Johann] Sachs, said that Austrian businessmen had a great interest in practical cooperation with Uzbekistan in various economic spheres. He expressed a hope that advantageous proposals would be made and important documents would be signed during the meeting. The first meeting of the Uzbek-Austrian joint commission for trade and economic cooperation will continue until 15th June.

resident Islamic Karimov in a recorded interview aboard an aircraft on his way back from the summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization which was held in the Iranian capital on 10th June, speaking on his meeting in Tehran with Gen Pervez Musharraf, the chief executive of Pakistan, said:

"Is it difficult to understand, if God has granted a mind to you, that it is necessary to stop the war (in Afghanistan)? If you are clever, is it difficult to agree with this?To be frank, yesterday, when meeting Mr Musharraf, Pakistan's leader, I told him the same thing. If you also contribute to this (stopping the war) - Pakistan is a big state, a 125m-strong state. It has a big potential. Today, it has nuclear weapons. If such a state realizes this simple thing and influences the Taleban, and tries to bring its influence to bear, saying well, there may be many negotiations, but, well, stop the war, there must be no fighting but meetings should be held instead, the entire world would support this. The UN, first of all, and all forces establishing peace in the world would certainly contribute to this and make efforts (towards achieving peace).

"But unfortunately, these appeals remain for the time being just appeals. Every party, for example, the Taleban, have illusions that tomorrow I will occupy the entire Afghan territory and rule. I do not know how much time is required so that they come to understand that simple thing. I do not know, I can say nothing. But yesterday, when speaking to Mr Musharraf I raised one question: Uzbekistan wants to be on good terms with Pakistan. To put it simply, to be on good terms. We are ready to establish broad relations. There are no obstacles to this. There is a big advantage for your region as well in establishing relations. You can make use of, let me say, our gas, our oil, and other riches. First of all, we can open roads, we can reach Karachi. How advantageous and beneficial for you might a railway or highway be? We are ready to consider this as well.

"But one thing which comes out for us as a difficulty, as a threat and danger is the developments in Afghanistan, such striving in Afghanistan, that is, forming various terrorist camps and shooting grounds, taking there some unworthy representatives of Central Asian states, peoples, giving them money, poisoning their minds, training them to be saboteurs and aggressors and sending them back to their countries and carrying out terrorist activity. In such a situation we, Uzbekistan, will be forced to seek protection for ourselves. While there is such pressure and such a threat, I as leader, I told Mr Musharraf, I am the leader of Uzbekistan and I want to propose one thing to you: for a moment you put yourself in my place: if a threat is posed to us from the south, what would you do if you were in my place?

"What efforts would you make and what would you strive for? First of all, search for defence, for a country able to help, because it is one thing that we have taken steps towards reforms, to making changes in life, and democracy, but for me it is the greatest, greatest duty of mine to protect our people, any person living in our country, old and young. Because changes and reforms will go on, may be later, but to protect against danger and prevent even a baby from shedding tears, to defend our old people, youth and women is the highest duty for me. That is why I am leader. And I would like to call upon all my people for this. Do you understand my efforts from this point of view? What would you do in my place? Of course, if there is a threat and danger, and it is growing, what is to be done? What is to be done? Any state and any society should seek defence for itself. Therefore, let us jointly realize this, and take a correct and wise direction.

"Will you, from that side influence those handling these efforts, the leaders and organizers of that. You are able to do that. From this side, we would be grateful to you and would try to improve further relations with the state of Pakistan. Our ancestors, first of all, the Boburids [Bobur dynasty], Zahiriddin Bobur [grandson of medieval ruler of Samarkand, Tamerlane the Great] first of all, developed the city of Lahore and left traces in many towns of Pakistan. From this point of view we have common roots. Let us agree. If you contribute to this issue it would be a very noble deed, I said yesterday. I think the talks and exchanges of views will bring positive results.

"Generally speaking, the viewpoint I expressed yesterday at the meeting, that is, appealed for the Afghans to be left alone, not to interfere in their internal affairs and not to supply arms, to quit such subversive steps which set off one group against another, and not to deliver arms to Afghanistan, I think there must be a positive impact. People heard that, many journalists heard that, maybe they will carry my appeal to the rest of the world. I live with this belief and think that it will also have a positive impact for us."

abool Textile Co. will construct a spinning mill equipped with one million spindles in Uzbekistan, a cotton-rich Central Asian country. Park Chang-ho, chairman of the Kabool Group, signed an agreement with Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, M. Z. Usmanov, last Tuesday to modernize an outdated spinning plant owned by the Uzbek government, a company spokesman said yesterday.

The agreement is the first phase of the Uzbek government's project, agreed on with Kabool, to modernize 1 million spindles. Kabool Textile will invest $118.08 million in the factory by 2001 to install 132 weaving looms equipped with 110,340 spindles. The first-phase project will be financed by the Japanese Export-Import Bank on the Uzbek government's guarantee, while Kabool Textiles will make in-kind investments with used weaving looms.

The company expects the spinning mill to begin operation with updated looms in early 2001 and estimates the mill's annual sales to reach $58 million. To attain the goal of modernizing one million spindles, the two sides also agreed to replace 200,000 antiquated spindles each year for five years. They seek to raise funds for the modernization project from foreign and international banks, including the Japanese bank and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). The Uzbek government will guarantee all funds for the project.

The company estimates that the project would take about $800 million to $1 billion to complete. Annual sales are expected to increase by $50 million each year due to spindle modernization until the completion of the project. After the project is finished, annual sales are expected to rise to $500 million. The Korean firm advanced into Uzbekistan in 1995 with a 220,000-spindle factory. Uzbekistan is the world's fourth largest cotton exporter but its existing spinning facilities were mostly made in the Soviet Union in 1950.

Kabool-Uzbek Co Ltd, established subsidiary, has already built two new textile plants in the cotton-producing former Soviet republic worth a total of $221 million. The joint venture forecasts export values of $85.3 million in 2000 from $47.3 million in 1999.

session of the people's deputies of the Samarkand city council has been held. It considered an organizational question. The Samarkand city major, Aziz Nosirov, has been relieved of his post at his own request. Polat Abdurahmonov, who worked as the first deputy chairman of the Ozavtotrans [Uzbek automobile transport] corporation, has been approved as the mayor of the city of Samarkand.

zbek President Islam Karimov has urged Pakistan to promote the termination of the war between the Taleban movement and the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan. Karimov's press secretary Azamat Ziye told Interfax on Monday [12th June] that Karimov made the call at his meeting with Pakistani Chief Executive Gen Pervez Musharraf in the framework of the Saturday summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization in Iran.

Ziye said Karimov again pointed to the serious threat to Uzbekistan from Afghanistan that has developed into "a test ground for training terrorists". In these conditions "it is a natural aspiration for Tashkent to seek support and backing," Karimov said adding that his country is ready for broad cooperation with Pakistan. In Iran Karimov also had a one-on-one meeting with Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev and talks with Iranian President Mohammad Khatami.

rospects of scientific and technical cooperation have been discussed at a session of the NATO Scientific Committee in Tashkent.

"The NATO's scientific programme supports international cooperation between scientists from the NATO member counties and their partner countries," the NATO scientific department's programmes director, Dr Walter Kaffenberger told a Turkiston-Press news agency correspondent.

"Uzbek scientists, as representatives of a partner country, have experience of successful cooperation with their counterparts from various countries in line with the programme mainly in the telecommunications and computer networks development field. Now we are considering a whole package of new projects with the involvement of Uzbek scientists in such fields as mathematics, biology, environmental protection and ecology. Our latest [joint] project is closely connected with the solution of the Aral Sea problem. We are ready to provide the necessary technical and financial aid and this is why we are closely studying the proposals made by Uzbek scientists.

"Nearly 13,000 scientists are involved in our scientific programme annually as scholarship holders, participants in conferences or reviewers and experts and members of various commissions. I must say that the scientific potential of your scientists, working in academic institutions, the National University and other scientific centres, is high enough to make various specialists from other countries interested in getting them involved in joint projects," Kaffenberger said.

"Our meeting's aim was to discuss areas of such cooperation for the further progress of science in the name of peace," he said.

n agreement has been signed at the Uzbek Postal and Telecommunications Agency between the governments of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan to coordinate the use of the radio frequencies of the 29.7-960 MHz band by the Uzbek and Kyrgyz radio services. For the Uzbek party the agreement was signed by the general director of the republican Postal and Telecommunications Agency, chairman of the State Committee for Radio Frequencies, Fatkhulla Abdullayev, and for the Kyrgyz side - by the director of the Kyrgyz National Communications Agency, Andrey Titov.

zbek President Islam Karimov received the director of the European II Department of the International Monetary Fund, John Odling-Smee, June 12. Welcoming the honoured guest, the president said that he had heard a lot about him and now was glad to meet him personally. Karimov said that Uzbekistan always highly valued cooperation with the International Monetary Fund and stressed the importance of the fund's current assistance with carrying out economic reforms. The president also expressed his satisfaction with the activity of the fund's representative office in the republic.

John Odling-Smee thanked for the reception and said that the aim of his visit was to find out about the course of the reforms being carried out in Uzbekistan, in particularly, those aimed to liberalize the economy.

The two exchanged views on Uzbekistan's activity [within the IMF] since1992, the year when Uzbekistan became a member of the International Monetary Fund, and on ways to develop this activity. A state advisor to the president, Vyacheslav Golyshev, and the head of the International Monetary Fund's representative office in Uzbekistan, Christoph Rosenberg, attended the reception.

axim Shatskikh struck twice to lead Ukrainian champions Dynamo Kiev to a convincing 3-0 win at Metalurg Zaporizhya on Monday, extending their undefeated streak of 28 league games. The 21-year-old Uzbek striker has now scored seven goals in three games to take his season's tally to 18 and catch his former partner, Tottenham Hotspur-bound Serhiy Rebrov, in second place in the goal-scoring stakes.

Kryvbas Kryviy Rih scored a 3-0 home win over lowly Prykarpattya Ivano-Frankivsk to move level with second-placed Shakhtar Donetsk on 60 points. Both teams have two games left. Striker Ivan Getsko got one of the three Kryvbas goals to grab the league's goal-scoring lead with 19.