ussian President Vladimir Putin welcomed the leaders of 11 other former Soviet republics on Wednesday and in turn won their support for upholding a key arms treaty and fighting terrorism. A smiling Putin opened a summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), founded in the aftermath of the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, and the leaders discussed issues ranging from trade to security behind closed doors.

It was Putin's first summit of the largely moribund bloc since being inaugurated as Kremlin leader last month. The 12 said they had agreed on the need to preserve and strengthen the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, which has come under threat by U.S. plans to build a national missile defence shield. "The heads of the states -- members of the Commonwealth of Independent States -- consider fundamental the current way of supporting world strategic stability and the status of international agreements," the 12 leaders said in a statement.

"The heads of state note the historical importance of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty of May 26, 1972 as the cornerstone of international peace, security and strategic stability, and confirm its immutable value today." The leaders said they were convinced ABM would remain in force for the next decade and form the basis for further reductions in strategic nuclear weapons.

The Charter of the CIS Anti-Terrorist Centre has been approved at a meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the CIS. The headquarters of this organization will be located in Moscow. Lieutenant-General of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) Boris Mylnikov was appointed as Head of the Anti-Terrorist Center. His candidacy had been approved during preliminary consultations.

One of the important issues at the summit that Russia is raising is Visa entrance regime for CIS citizens. Some of the CIS leaders are catigorically opposing to it, while others are agreeing. Therefore, Russian officials said that they will discuss individually visa case with each CIS country. It is likely that Ukraine and Belarus will not have such arrangements, while Central Asian country leaders will discuss this issue during the individual meetings.

zbekistan posted 1.4% inflation in May, compared to 1.2% in April and 1.9% in March, the Uzbek Macroeconomic and Statistics Ministry reported. Inflation was 1.9% in May 1999. This means that UzbekIinterbank Rates (currently set on a monthly basis) set by Central Bank may go up only slightly in July, 2000. Kazakhstan's gold and forex reserves totaled $1.807 billion in mid-June, rising 0.3% in the first half of the month, the National Bank of Kazakhstan told Interfax. Kyrgyzstan has posted inflation of 1.4% for May, the national statistics agency told Interfax. Con-sumer prices rose 6.3% in the first five months of the year, compared with 22.9% in the same period of 1999.

resident Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan attended a regular summit of the heads of CIS states which took place in the capital of the Russian Federation, Moscow. An important issue was also discussed at the summit, on ending the work of the peacekeeping troops of the CIS who have been ensuring peace and stability for the last few years in the Republic of Tajikistan. In his speech President Islam Karimov highly assessed the work of the CIS peacekeeping forces in establishing peace and stability in Tajikistan and stressed that such a result was achieved not with the help of international organizations but with the efforts of the states party to the CIS and that this event should also be an example for others, not only within the framework of the CIS, that this should be assessed by the world in a comprehensive way, the president said.

The head of state also continued these thought in a news conference which was held at the end of the summit. Uzbek President Islam Karimov speaking at the news conference said the following:

" Above all, this precedent itself, and [Russian President] Vladimir Vladimirovich also said, is a unique precedent - without attracting a so called international peacekeeping force to one of the ongoing conflict situations, I would have said, with the help, and above all, concentration, with the help of attracting forces of the CIS countries alone, with Russia's special role, a civil war was settled. This precedent means a lot. Recently we, together with other presidents of the Central Asian region visited [the Tajik capital] Dushanbe and we saw that Tajikistan was indeed entering a new phase of its development, above all stabilization of the situation, security, restoring its economy and guaranteeing a stable developr threats, attempts to return to the past again - to the frail opposition. Nevertheless, I repeat again, today Tajikistan has entered a new phase and collective peacekeeping troops have played this, I would have said, exclusive role. The precedent is unique in itself namely because, if there is a will among the CIS countries to coordinate their forces, if there is a good will and political will and if they unite their efforts, it is possible to solve other conflict situations as well which at present exist on the post-Soviet territories. This is the first issue.

The second issue, I would like to ask journalists to pay special attention, in particular, to all the efforts which are being taken in Kosovo, Bosnia and other regions of the w orld to bring peace but which has not been achieved yet. At the same time, we have a unique experience on the post-Soviet territory. This is extremely important, and I would particularly like to stress this view. Taking this opportunity I would like to say that Russia's role in this, of course, is great, I would like to overtly express this thought because we must openly acknowledge Russia's presence in the Central Asian region and also Russian interests in the Central Asian region, and not to play any games here. Yes, Rusa to have a long term, I would say, strategy, not only in the Central Asian region but also in the southern direction. Unfortunately, I should say, that we do not see the implementation of this programme as yet but we hope that it will happen."

zbek embassy in Dushanbe has issued an official denial of a Kyrgyz press report that Uzbek aircraft bombed a terrorist base in Afghanistan close to the Afghan-Uzbek border, Asia Plus-Blitz reported on 19 June. The Kyrgyz report, which was published in the 17 June issue of the official newspaper "Slovo Kyrgyzstana," claimed that eight Afghan militants were killed in the raid and that the Taliban had shot down an Uzbek plane, killing the two pilots.

he U.S. embassy in Tashkent was evacuated on 19 June after an anonymous telephone caller claimed there was a bomb on the premises, Interfax reported. A search of the building and grounds failed to identify any such threat. It was the second such bomb hoax within five days.

zbekistan's interior ministry said on Thursday its forces had cordoned off the US embassy in the capital Tashkent after receiving an anonymous call saying there may be an explosive device in the vicinity.

"Apparently an anonymous caller said someone may have laid a mine near the embassy," Natalya Kochubei, head of the ministry's press office, told Reuters. "Therefore it has been sealed off and checked, although so far there is no confirmation (of any explosives)."

Witnesses said nearby buildings, including a kindergarten, had been evacuated and that dogs were being used to search for possible explosives. A source in the embassy said that work was continuing as normal despite the disruption. "All I can say is that we are working as usual," the source said by telephone.

ussian and Uzbek defence ministers Igor Sergeyev and Yuriy Agzamov have adopted an instruction in Moscow on joint actions by the two countries' anti-aircraft defence forces. The Russian and Uzbek anti-aircraft defence forces will start joint anti-aircraft defence duty in the near future, Russian Deputy Air Force Commander-in-Chief Yuriy Bondarev has told Interfax.

"This form of cooperation has proved its efficiency and is successfully implemented by the Russian, Armenian, Belarusian, Kazakh and Kyrgyz anti-aircraft defence forces," he pointed out.

Russia's and Uzbekistan's combining their anti-aircraft forces' actions will contribute to a "real strengthening of the CIS anti-aircraft defence at its southern sector, Bondarev said.

zbek President Islam Karimov received the visiting president of the Japan International Cooperation Agency [JICA], Kimio Fujita, June 19. Welcoming the high-ranking quest to Uzbekistan, the president said that the Uzbek government and people were very interested in cooperation with Japan. A number of projects are being carried out together with the JICA, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, and a lot of attention is being paid to them. We are ready to ensure the completion of all the projects, which have been started jointly with the agency's representative office in our country, and to join our efforts to use all opportunities to implement technical programmes, the president said.

Expressing his gratitude for the cordial reception, the president of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, Kimio Fujita, said that his ogranization considered Uzbekistan a reliable partner in the Centeral Asian region and that the Japanese side was always ready to allocate grants under joint projects. We are happy that our cooperation is contributing to the economic development of Uzbekistan, Kimio Fujita said.

zbek President Islam Karimov will arrive in Moscow on Tuesday afternoon, June 20, on a working visit, a source at the Foreign Ministry said. The source told Itar-Tass on Monday that Karimov will take part in the CIS summit to open in Moscow on June 21. Uzbekistan is expected to participate in the discussion of all issues included in the summit agenda. Karimov is also hoped to sign all of the documents to be adopted at the summit. The Uzbek leader may confer with President Vladimir Putin to discuss key issues of bilateral cooperation.

zbek teenager Iroda Tulyaganova won her first career title by beating Francesca Schiavone of Italy 6-3 2-6 6-3 in the final of the $140,000 Tashkent Open women's tournament on Sunday. The 18-year-old local favourite outlasted the 20-year-old Italian on a scorching afternoon in the Uzbek capital during a near two-hour battle to claim the first prize of $22,000.

After trading the first two sets, with temperatures reaching 35 degrees Celsius at courtside, Tulyaganova secured a key break in the seventh game of the final set and went on to clinch the match.

"It was very difficult to play in such conditions, still I'm very happy with my performance this week," said Schiavone, who knocked out top seed Anna Smashnova of Israel in the first round.

"This day is for my father and I dedicate my victory to him," Tulyaganova said as both players were given Uzbek national robes and caps embroidered in gold. "I showed I can play well enough to win this kind of tournament."

It was the first final for both players, who were ranked well outside the top 100 before this tournament. Tulyaganova, a 1999 Wimbledon junior champion, is ranked 160th on the women's tour.

zbek TV broadcast a special prerecorded programme on 16th June on Uzbek President Islam Karimov's visit to Tajikistan which included his address to the journalists on the 15th about the results of a summit of the Central Asian Economic Union member countries which was held in Dushanbe, his talks with Tajik President Emomali Rahmonov and his address to a gathering of the Tajik intelligentsia held in his honour. President Karimov mainly dwelt on the situation in Afghanistan, the UN, drug trafficking, arms smuggling, and regional security issues. Karimov said the Central Asian states were "not satisfied" with the attention given to the war in Afghanistan by the international community, "particularly the UN and other international organizations". Stressing that the Afghan issue was not only a local issue but also an international one he said that country had become "a testing ground" where "international terrorists" learn the art of "blowing up, killing and committing acts of sabotage". Turning to the issue of drugs originating from Afghanistan he said this country accounted for 70 per cent of the of opium poppy and the population was "compelled" to engage in this trade "in order to survive... as they have no other means of livelihood." Karimov said the drug barons "will do whatever it takes" to reach the world markets through Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

He spoke of the "creeping expansion" of not only drug trafficking or arms trade but also of "religious extremism and terrorism". He said security concerns arising from the situation in Afghanistan were causing "very serious concern" for Central Asia. Karimov said countries like Tajikistan "must understand" that "we have to take certain measures like those accepted in the entire civilized world until this threat disappears". He said such measures were aimed at "ensuring our people's security" and protecting Uzbekistan from "this infection in the true sense of the word as I cannot choose another word for this - drugs are an infection and that religious radicalism is also an infection as it infects the minds of young people".

President Karimov said: "Does the United Nations really not understand this? Do the great powers really not understand this?" He said "all" the UN initiatives aimed at searching for and achieving peace in Afghanistan have "so far been fruitless". Karimov added: "We talk, the UN Security Council routinely and systematically takes decisions which are only 'very strict' on a paper, like sanctions etc. These sanctions, as they say, are as good as shots fired from a cannon at sparrows." In his addresses Karimov praised the Tajik nation and said Uzbeks and Tajiks have lived together for many centuries and that they were the same people who speak in two languages. The following are excerpts from a report by Uzbek TV on 16th June:

[Presenter] The president of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, attended a scheduled meeting of the Central Asian Economic Union in Dushanbe. Our head of state also made an official visit to the Republic of Tajikistan. We now present a special programme on the results of this visit.

[Correspondent] This visit by the president of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, to the Republic of Tajikistan had two goals: first, to take part in a scheduled summit of the Central Asian Economic Union and second, to make an official visit to the Republic of Tajikistan. After that a news conference for representatives of the media took place. The presidents told journalists about the results of the talks and the agreements signed.

[A question from] Anvar Karimov, the National News Agency of Uzbekistan. I have a question for President Islam Karimov. Islam Abduganiyevich [Karimov], an address on the situation in Afghanistan was adopted at today's meeting. What is the meaning of it? And can one finally count on the international community paying serious attention to this problem? Thank you.

[President Islam Karimov, speaking in Russian] At the proposal of Tajikistan, the issue of an address by the four Central Asian heads of state to the UN, specifically to the Security Council, was put on the agenda of today's meeting. The fact that the Security Council includes five permanent members, that is, great powers, was taken into account. The address is also to the OIC and the OSCE. The meaning of the address is that we are not satisfied with the attention that the international community, particularly the UN and other international organizations, are giving to the war in Afghanistan, a war which has been going on for 20 years now. We want to emphasize again that today the issue of Afghanistan is not a regional or a local issue.

Today, the issue of Afghanistan is very dangerous, and it is a danger not only to the Central Asian region but also to many countries which lie far from Central Asia. Take for example issue of the fact that Afghanistan has now become a testing ground where bandit formations and terrorist groups are formed, camps were set up there to train and prepare terrorists of all hues, international terrorists, camps which teach the art of blowing up, the art of killing and the art of committing acts of sabotage. This is no longer a secret, this is already a fact. It is no secret either that those terrorists who have been trained in camps in Afghanistan are taking part in activities on many hot spots of the world.

If one looks at the issue of drugs, today Afghanistan accounts for 70 per cent of the [world producton] of opium poppy, which is used to produce the most powerful drug, heroin. Virtually, the production of powerful drugs in Afghanistan has become something of an industry. Today, as the process of degradation is going on in Afghanistan, the population is compelled to engage in this trade in order to survive. I repeat they are compelled just like in Colombia and other state at one time. They are compelled to engage in this trade as they have no other means of livelihood. The billions of dollars that drug trafficking generates are being used to continue the war in Afghanistan, to buy weapons and to form those testing grounds in Afghanistan. We, countries which lie in the immediate vicinity of Afghanistan, cannot be passive observers precisely because today, I would say, there is a creeping expansion of religious extremism, international terrorism and drug trafficking from the south. We cannot deal with that drug trafficking without the help of international forces, the UN and those great powers on which these drugs are being dropped.

We, the five states, including Turkmenistan, cannot block these ever extending routes of drug trafficking. You must be very much aware that drug dealing takes one of the top places in terms of bringing in big dividends, big profit. Naturally, today drug trafficking is, first of all, protected by armed forces. Whole formations have emerged and they protect those routes and guarantee drug trafficking. Does the United Nations really not understand this? Do the great powers really not understand this? I repeat that today the territoriy of these and their population are receiving the drugs made in Afghanistan. And all these pathetic attemts which are being made demonstratively, excuse the expression, like joining forces, the allocation of some kind of international assignations by international organizations to create a barrier in the way of drug trafficking - all these still remain at the level of declarations. I have to, I am complled to say this. New routes are being created from the territory of Afghanistan through the territory of Kyrgyzstan, the territory of Tajikistan and through other territories. And naturally the trade which generates enormous profits, billions of dollars, will be further protected by organized multi-national terrorist groupings. One should not turn a blind eye to this. We deeply deplore that all the UN initiatives aimed at searching for and achieving peace in Afghanistan have so far been fruitless.

As [Russian writer] Krylov's famous fable says, Vaska [the cat] is eating and listening to [a man lecturing] at the same time [in that fable, the man catches the cat stealing food and he lectures the cat instead of taking a more severe action]. I would choose this expression, that is, we talk, the UN Security Council routinely and systematically takes decisions which are only "very strict" on paper, like sanctions etc. These sanctions, as they say, are as good as shots fired from a cannon at sparrows. Therefore, we have reason to appeal to the UN, the Security Council, on behalf of the states which are directly experiencing this threat on their territory so that they will take more effective measures to neutralize this threat, and most importantly, so that peace is established in Afghanistan, so that the suffering Afghan people will at last become level with those states which are building a normal and happy life for their people. Thank you.

[Correspondent] On 15th June, an official visit by the president of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, to the Republic of Tajikistan started with his one-to-one meeting with the president of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmonov. At that meeting, they exchanged views on economic, political and trade relations between the two countries, regional security and other issues of interest to the sides. After that expanded-format talks started between the official delegations of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan right there. At the talks the further expansion of economic, political and social links between the two states, regional security and the initiation of cooperation in such spheres as trade, transport, science and culture were discussed.

Following the talks, President Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan and President Emomali Rahmonov of Tajikistan signed an agreement on eternal friendship between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan and a memorandum on the delimitation of the state borders of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. An extradition agreement between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Republic of Tajikistan, an agreement on exchanging legal information between the governments of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan and an agreement on cooperation in the sphere of legal evaluation were also signed. After that both presidents addressed the media.

[A question from the audience] Esteemed Islam Abduganiyevich [Karimov], after talking to Tajiks here in Tajikistan today, we, [members of staff of] the Uzbek TV, realized that the Tajik people have high expectations of your visit to this country. We also saw this at yesterday's concert. We would like to ask you to express your attitude to the Tajik people again in Uzbek.

[President Karimov, speaking in Uzbek] You have asked a very difficult question of me. On the other hand, it is a very easy question because Uzbeks and Tajiks, the two nations have lived together for many centuries. They have always been together even in the most difficult times, in misfortunes. They have drank water from the same spring and ate bread and salt from the same soil. That is why [changes tack] There are many peoples in Central Asia who have a common history and customs. But as I have said before, and will say it again, it is difficult to tell the difference between the Tajiks and Uzbeks. It is very difficult. If anyone tries to do this, let him tell me on what basis the Tajiks could be distinguished from the Uzbeks. Can one distinguish them on the basis of their appearance or inner lives, mentality? I think it is very difficult. From this point of view, as I have said before, they are the same people who speak in two languages.

[Correspondent] In answer to a question from a Tajik TV correspondent about movement of people, including air traffic, the presidents said the following:

[Tajik President Emomali Rahmonov, speaking in Russian] As for air lines, one must understand that, look, it does not improve Tajikistan's prestige at the international level when on every Dushanbe-Moscow aircraft on its arrival [in Moscow], people are detained for transporting drugs, and transporting in such disgraceful ways. Naturally, there are fears that a new route for drug trafficking might emerge when we start the Dushanbe-Tashkent flights. But despite this, esteemed Islam Abduganiyevich today gave an order that such trial flights should be started in the near future to see [what happens]. A treaty on that has already been prepared and will be elaborated. And so this question no longer arises.

[President Karimov in Russian] After gaining independence, we must actually feel like an independent state. That is, sovereignty and independence mean, first of all, borders. We must delineate the borders which at least formally exist between the two sovereign states. I repeat every sovereign and independent state must have precisely-demarcated borders. The second question is a regime of observing border conditions. Here we have issues. As a war has been going on in Afghanistan for 20 years now, drug trafficking from there is ever increasing both in terms of scale and volume and those forces which are interested in profits running into billions from this illegal drug trafficking will do whatever it takes to reach the world markets through Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. This is natural as each and every one of you understand. You must understand that this factor, this threat of creeping expansion of not only drug trafficking or arms trade but first of all, religious extremism and terrorism is a factor from which no one can keep one's distance today. Only through joint efforts can we protect ourselves, our territory and our society. How? Every state has to bear its responsibility. And at the same time we must take joint measures.

Therefore, considering these factors, first of all the second factor being that the situation in Central Asia from the viewpoint of security is causing very serious concern today and there is a constant threat coming from the south, I would say a creeping threat, you in Tajikistan must understand that we have to take certain measures like those accepted in the entire civilized world until this threat disappears. It is measures aimed at ensuring our people's security, first of all, our territory so that this infection in the true sense of the word as I cannot choose another word for this - drugs are an infection and that religious radicalism is also an infection as it infects the minds of young people, tonnes of leaflets, the money with which they buy our people and set them against their parents, various radical movements, I would not name them now as you know them very well - we must protect our peope from this infection. I cannot choose another word to describe this.

Therefore, you must understand the temporary measures which are taken in every civilized country. We are ready to open any number of passages, and not only passages but also border checkpoints. What does a border checkpoint mean? We want a citizen of Tajikistan, not of Afghanistan, to freely pass to the territory where his relatives are, I repeat where his relatives are. Because his relatives in Uzbekistan live on the other side of a small river or a road. And also the other way round - our people must go to the territory where his relatives live. But he has to show his passport and the things he is carrying. Is he transporting drugs or not? Is he transporting the banned things that are specified in our legal documents? For instance, explosives, arms, drugs and other things. Do you understand? All these are specified in the documents of our two countries. If you are not transporting any of these then go and live there for as long as you like.

[President Karimov, speaking in Russian] We should exchange experience, and the most important is that all this should be aimed at [increasing] mutual understanding. In this respect, it is expedient, in my opinion, to ensure the transmission of radio and TV programmes of the Uzbek TV [rapturous applause] in Uzbek, Tajik and Russian languages to the Republic of Tajikistan and, the other way round (transmission of Tajik radio and TV programmes to Uzbekistan), and the free distribution in our country of information, newspapers and TV programmes from Tajikistan. We are ready for that.

dhering to the policy of import-substitution and export orientation, in 1999, Uzbekistan managed to achieve rather good results in the opening up of the CIS markets. In part, export of Uzbek-made goods and services to Belarus went up by 48 per cent, Turkmenistan by 84 per cent, Ukraine by 3.67 times, Azerbaijan by 8.6 per cent and Georgia by 49 per cent.

At the same time, imports from Georgia fell by 84.3 per cent, Kazakhstan by 22.3 per cent, Azerbaijan by 13.4 per cent, Moldova by 43.7 per cent, and Ukraine by 12.4 per cent.

Uzbekistan's orientation towards foreign markets has been prompted by the need to get hold of modern technology, earning freely convertible currency and strengthening economic cooperation. In 1999, the share of European countries in Uzbekistan's foreign trade was 64 per cent, while that of Asian countries was 30.1 per cent, American countries was 5.5 per cent, African countries 0.1 per cent and Australian and Oceanian 0.3 per cent.

The major foreign-trade partners of Uzbekistan continue to be: the Republic of Korea (its share was 8.3 per cent of the general foreign-trade over), Britain (6.4 per cent accordingly), Germany (5.6 per cent), Switzerland (5.5 per cent), the USA (4.4 per cent), the Netherlands (2.2 per cent), Belgium (2.0 per cent), Italy (1.9 per cent) and France (1.8 per cent).

In 1999, our country's foreign trade turnover was 6,346.5m dollars, including imports from faraway foreign countries [outside CIS] worth 2,300.80m dollars and exports worth 2,253m dollars.

delegation from Japan's International Cooperation Agency [JICO], lead by [its president] Kimio Fujita, was in Uzbekistan. On the first day of its visit [presumably on 17th June], the Japanese delegation went sightseeing in Tashkent, visited the State Museum of Temurids' History and laid flowers at the graves of [Second World War] Japanese servicemen in Yakkasaroy District [in Uzbek capital Tashkent].

In the second half of the day, the delegation led by the president of the Japan's International Cooperation Agency, was received at the [Uzbek] Cabinet of Ministers. On 18th June, the Japanese guests left for the ancient town of Samarkand. After visiting the town's historical monuments, they held a meeting at the Mother and Child centre.

On the last day of their visit, the Japanese guests held talks at the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Ministry for Foreign Economic Relations. It is worth noting that the Japanese organization has been helping with attracting foreign investment in Uzbekistan's economy and teaching staff.

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

Singles Quarterfinals

Sarah Pitkowski (2), France, def. Anna Zaporozhanova, Ukraine, 6-0, 6-0.

Francesca Schiavone, Italy, def. Tatiana Poutchek, Belarus, 6-3, 6-3.

Iroda Tulyaganova, Uzbekistan, def. Elena Bovina, Russia, 6-3, 3-0, retired.

Yi Jingqian, China, def. Tzippora Obziler, Israel, 6-1, 6-3. Doubles Semifinals

Iroda Tulyaganova, Uzbekistan, and Anna Zaporozhanova (4), Ukraine, def. Giulia Casoni, Italy, and Nadejda Ostrovskaya (1), Belarus, 6-1, 6-2.

Li Na and Li Ting, China, def. Elena Bovina, Russia, and Tatiana Poutchek, Belarus, walkover.

zbek Television on 16th June broadcast a special prerecorded programme devoted to the results of the recent Uzbek-Tajik summit. Addressing the Tajik intelligentsia, Uzbek President Islam Karimov, amongst other issues, stressed the need for broadening cultural relations between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

Speaking in Russian, he said: "We should exchange experience, and the most important is that all this should be aimed at [increasing] mutual understanding. In this respect, it is expedient, in my opinion, to ensure the transmission of radio and TV programmes of the Uzbek TV (rapturous applause) in Uzbek, Tajik and Russian languages to the Republic of Tajikistan and, the other way round (transmission of Tajik radio and TV programmes to Uzbekistan), and the free distribution in our country of information, newspapers and TV programmes from Tajikistan. We are ready for that."

he Uzbek embassy in Tajikistan has denied a report by [the Kyrgyz] newspaper `Slovo Kyrgyzstana' that the Uzbek air forces allegedly carried out air strikes on terrorist camps in Afghanistan.

The Iranian radio [from Mashhad] said on 17th June the newspaper had reported that the Uzbek air forces had attacked militants' camps in the vicinity of Hayraton on the Afghan-Uzbek border, killing eight fighters.

The newspaper also said the Taleban anti-aircraft system had shot down one Uzbek jet fighter, allegedly killing its two pilots. The Asia-Plus news agency was told at the Uzbek embassy in Tajikistan on 19th June that "such reports were unfounded and did not correspond to reality".