| October 7-October 14, 2000 | |||
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| Informal association GUUAM might acquire official status next year | |||
 he informal association GUUAM might be "formalized" at the meeting of the presidents of the countries making up this organization in Kiev next year, Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma announced at a Thursday press conference in Tashkent following talks with Uzbek President Islam Karimov.
GUUAM is composed of Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Moldova. Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova had originally created the organization in 1997, proceeding from their common interest in creating a European transport corridor. Uzbekistan joined the organization in 1998. The GUUAM leaders have repeatedly stated that the association is not directed against any third country and that the five states are joined by purely economic interests. The Ukrainian and Georgian presidents had earlier responded negatively to questions as to whether a military bloc might be established within the GUUAM framework. (Interfax) | |||
| Ukrainian president meets Ukrainian diaspora in Uzbek capital | |||
 resident of Ukraine, Leonid Kuchma, accompanied by the
president of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, visited Remembrance
Square in Tashkent during the second day of his visit on October 13. He paid tribute to the memory of those
who fell during World War II, and laid flowers at the monument to the
mourning mother. The high-ranking guest asked about the history of the
construction of Remembrance Square, which was built along national lines. The president of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, and of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma visited school No 110 in Tashkent and met members of the Ukrainian diaspora. Schoolchildren waving Uzbek and Ukrainian flags welcomed the leaders of the two countries. Islam Karimov and Leonid Kuchma unveiled a symbolic stone bearing the inscription that in the run-up to the 10th anniversary of Ukraine's independence a memorial to the famous son of Ukrainian people, Taras Shevchenko, would be erected there. The presidents met Ukrainians who are citizens of Uzbekistan. The meeting took place in an open and friendly atmosphere. (Uzbek TV) | |||
| Uzbekistan football team to play in Asian Cup | |||
 zbekistan will start its first match in the Asian Cup in Lebanon on Saturday against Qatar. On October 17 and 20,
Uzbekistan will compete for one of two tickets to the next round against Japan and Saudi Arabia. Here is the official Uzbek
squad:
1. Pavel Bugalo - G (Alaniya, Vladikavkaz) Strangely, there is no Jafar Irismetov in the squad, who is the best striker in the current National Championship. The Asian Football Confederation found Uzbek striker Maksim Shatskikh Asia's best player of September. The Asian Cup began on October 12 and two matches have already been played. Host Lebanon was crushed by Iran 0-4 and Iraq won Thailand 2-0.
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| Uzbek oil refinery subsidiary branches out into tortoise exports | |||
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here is an unusual farm operating under the aegis of the oil refinery in
Bukhara Region [in southwestern Uzbekistan]. Over 1,000 turtles are being
bred at the Neftchi [oil worker] forestry enterprise. The enterprise has got an order from Russia for supplies of tortoise meat, a real delicacy. Gourmets there will pay 50 dollars for a three-year-old turtle, and up to three dollars for the small ones the enterprise will send for fattening. Once the issue of export licences has been settled, the enterprise staff plan to expand this profitable production. | |||
| Anti-terrorist police in northeastern Uzbekistan get helicopter | |||
 runway built at the
[north-west Uzbek] Khorezm Regional Interior Directorate will now be used not only for the An-2
presented to the Region's antiterrorist subunit, but also for a helicopter that has been registered with
the Regional Interior Directorate. Khorezm Region's deputy police chief, police, Col A. [Amin] Bobojonov, said that the helicopter would get police experts to the scene urgently to carry out actions against any manifestation of terrorism. The helicopter will be used to launch strikes from air. The personnel has already begun training, and skills in making assault landings are being developed, he said. On the day the helicopter was handed over for the use of the militia, the regional governor, Islom Bobojonov, and heads of the law enforcement bodies flew round the border areas. They landed in the most distant settlement, Sarimoy, where they met border guards. | |||
| Turkmens to stop processing gas at western Uzbek plant | |||
 ork has been started to change the technological direction of the Central
Asia-Centre IV gas pipeline.
Turkmen gas used to be sent through this pipeline to the gas compressing
station in Khiva [western Uzbekistan]. Once a new 120-kilometre pipeline is built, the gas will flow to the station in Yylanly [northern Turkmenistan]. Most of the construction work is to be carried out by the Ukrainian Zachgaz firm. All the necessary machinery, equipment and materials have arrived. Builders of the Lebapnebitgazgurlushyk [Lebap oil and gas construction] enterprise are taking part in this important project, designed to bring an enormous profit to Turkmenistan. (Turkmen TV, October 12) | |||
| Ukraine and Uzbekistan remove visa restrictions | |||
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he leaders of Ukraine and Uzbekistan have signed an
agreement to remove visa restrictions between the two
countries. At a meeting in Tashkent the two presidents agreed to scrap visas for visits of less than ninety days. Both men also criticized an agreement by other Central Asian states to set up a Eurasian economic community with Russia and Belarus. President Leonid Kuchma of Ukraine said that the new body had no legal basis to exist, while the Uzbek president Islam Karimov described it as a still-born child. (BBC, October 12) | |||
| Ukrainian head backs Uzbek actions against "terrorism" | |||
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he Ukrainian leadership firmly supports
Uzbekistan's struggle against international terrorism and attempts to
destabilize the region, Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma said at a news
conference in Tashkent October 12.
International organizations and the international community must be alert to the danger of instability in Central Asia, Kuchma said. Ukraine highly appreciates Uzbek President Islam Karimov's efforts to stabilize the regional situation, he said. Uzbekistan will do its best to avoid confrontation with the group that eventually rules Afghanistan and avoid being dragged into "any confrontation or war" with that country, Karimov said. [President] I would like to express my deep satisfaction with the current Uzbek-Ukrainian relations, which are dynamically developing on the principles of traditional friendship, trust, equality and mutual benefit. I am happy to note that our countries are cooperating in an mutually advantageous and civilized way in such spheres as railway, air and motor transport, the fuel and energy sector and the aviation industry. During my meeting with Leonid Danilovich [Kuchma], as well as during the talks with the official delegations of the two countries, we focused on those reserves which are not yet fully used in our relations. We have reached understanding on further broadening and deepening the mutually advantageous cooperation in investment, scientific and technical, and humanitarian spheres. [Ukrainian President Kuchma] Today's talks with the president of Uzbekistan were conducted in the traditional constructive and friendly atmosphere of trust and mutual understanding. In the course of the talks, we discussed ways of developing Ukrainian-Uzbek relations, strategic partnership and many other issues of international politics. Above all, I would like to note that we, Ukraine, rate highly President Islam Karimov's active foreign policy, which is aimed at stabilizing the situation in the region and halting the existing threats to peace and security. In this respect, I deem it necessary to stress that the Ukrainian leadership resolutely supports Uzbekistan's actions to fight international terrorism, extremism and any attempts to destabilize the situation in the republic and region by use of arms. At the same time, trade and economic relations were given a central place during the talks between the two countries. I would like to stress that a great deal of work has been done in this field. The fact that the trade turnover between the two countries this year has virtually doubled is a positive tendency. At the same time there are much greater opportunities than we are utilizing today, and Islam Abduganiyevich [Karimov] and I discussed these questions in detail today. | |||
| Uzbek president says no threat posed to his country by Taleban so far | |||
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ashkent is interested in a peaceful settlement of
the situation in Afghanistan regardless of who comes to power in Kabul,
Uzbek President Islam Karimov said at a press conference in Tashkent today.
At the same time, Karimov pointed out, in the event of the Taleban victory peace will not be achieved in Afghanistan as long as all the country's ethnic, religious and regional groups are not represented in the government. "Each country builds its relations with the outside world chiefly proceeding from its own interests and therefore one should not be surprised by flexibility and a skill to follow realities," Karimov said. The situation in Afghanistan "is changing rapidly and one should take into account the reality taking shape there", he said. The Taleban forces have been near the Uzbek-Afghan border "for almost two years" and "we are surprised to hear about an evident threat increasing at the Tajik-Afghan border" since "the Taleban forces, remaining outside the border with Uzbekistan, have not posed a threat or manifested aggression towards Uzbekistan in all this time", he said. "We may not like the Taleban movement, but it is a force that cannot be ignored," Karimov continued. "We do not need confrontation with Afghanistan. We have never wanted and will not get involved in confrontation with this country. We will do everything to rule this out," the Uzbek president said. (Russian news agency Interfax, October 12) | |||
| Ukraine's President Leonid Kuchma in Uzbekistan | |||
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krainian President Leonid Kuchma arrived in Uzbekistan on an
official visit October 12. First Uzbek President Islam Karimov and Ukrainian President Leonid
Kuchma held one-to-one talks.
Talks in an expanded format, involving the delegations of the two countries,
discussed broadening cooperation in the trade and economic, political and
cultural spheres and developing relations between regions, and also focused
on regional security problems. The talks resulted in the signing of eight agreements and a protocol. They are:
a protocol on broadening military and technical cooperation; During the talks President Karimov has offered areas possibly rich in oil and gas as concessions to Ukraine. It became also obvious that both leaders share the view that creation of an Eurasian economic community will have a negative impact on the development of the CIS. Talking about the bilteral ties, the Uzbek president said: [Karimov] I am sure that both Ukraine and Uzbekistan have the same opinion.Ukraine has great and remarkable potential. So does Uzbekistan, and Uzbekistan's potential effectively does not coincide with the sectors and priority spheres in which Ukraine's potential lies. We need those goods which Ukraine manufactures and in your turn, you need our cotton, for example. In this respect, it seems there are all grounds for using the existing opportunities in order sharply to increase the turnover of those goods which are the result of our states' economic activities, of our individual territorial formations, our ministries and private companies. When we asked what the problem is here, what factors are at play and what are the reasons, both sides came to exactly the same conclusion that one of the key issues which we have to resolve is that of payments. If these issues are settled then virtually no other issues will remain. True, there are other issues connected with communications, transport corridors. I spoke about this when I was in Ukraine and also want to state today that if I was asked what I wanted from God, I would ask, among other very important requests, that we might be a neighbour of Ukraine. If we were neighbours with Ukraine I think very many issues which equally worry both of us would be resolved without fail. And from the point of view of creating the necessary conditions for the growth of goods turnover and settlement of the payment issue, there is a proposal which we have already agreed. I think this should be brought to a practical result. If we do not have the opportunity to pay in hard currency, we must nevertheless sort out this clearing payment. That is to say, we must set up a special joint group which will be responsible for resolving the issue in Ukraine or Uzbekistan. I must say that it is mostly Ukraine's problem, because when you buy cotton, if you can not pay in dollars, we need your goods. What goods, you know: equipment for the oil and gas processing sectors. That means the Sumsk plant and those pumping stations, pipes, metal, ferrous metals, first and foremost which we have a great demand for. And there are no questions here. | |||
| No plans for visas in Russian-Uzbek travel, says Russian official | |||
 ussia and Uzbekistan will not introduce visa
requirements, the deputy head of the Russian Foreign Ministry's consular
service department told ITAR-TASS yesterday.
Mikhail Troshin is heading a group of experts from the Russian Foreign Ministry, which ended its working visit to Tashkent yesterday. Russian and Uzbek experts coordinated here issues of visa-free travels and prepared a draft document that is expected to be signed by the two countries' governments signed. (Russian news agency ITAR-TASS, October 12) | |||
| Kazakhstan to produce brake parachutes for Uzbek army | |||
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he defence-industry joint-stock company Shelf (a
parachute factory in western Kazakhstan's Atyrau Region) is to produce
brake parachutes for the Uzbek Defence Ministry, an Interfax-Kazakhstan
news agency correspondent has learnt from Shelf.
The report from the source says that Shelf will produce parachutes for the Su-17, Su-24, Su-27, MiG-25, MiG-29 and MiG-31 aircraft that are currently in service with the Uzbek army. The Shelf report says that initially Uzbekistan intended to place this order with Russian enterprises, but Kazakhstan's prices were keener. The cost of a Shelf double-canopy parachute for a Sukhoi aircraft ranges from 2,800 to 3,100 dollars, and from 5,200 to 5,500 dollars for a MiG aircraft. The order was important to the enterprise, since the Shelf joint-stock company has been unable to engage in its particular speciality owing to a lack of demand in the domestic market. | |||
| Turkmen,Uzbek heads upbeat in telephone talks | |||
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telephone conversation took place today between
President Saparmyrat Niyazov of Turkmenistan and President
Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan. Greeting Niyazov, the Uzbek leader once again
warmly thanked the Turkmen head for his warm reception and hospitality
shown during the the Uzbek president's official visit to Ashgabat. The
Uzbek head stressed the enormous significance of the recent high-level
talks [21st-22nd September in Ashgabat], during which many pressing
questions of mutual interest were resolved - in particular, the important
issue of the delimitation of the state border between Uzbekistan and
Turkmenistan. The agreement on delimitation of the state border signed by the two state leaders, the Uzbek head noted, made it possible to raise the relations between the neighbouring countries to a new level and to make the common border a genuine frontier of peace and friendship. Having noted the businesslike and constructive nature of the dialogue between the two leaders, Islam Karimov particularly emphasized the fact that, as a result of the wide and open exchange of views with his Turkmen counterpart, he entirely shared Saparmyrat Niyazov's stance on a number of foreign-policy issues. The heads of two states exchanged information about the progress made with the implementation of bilateral agreements and about the present state of, and prospects for, regional partnership and pointed out that they would do their best to further deepen interstate cooperation, based on the interests of the Turkmen and Uzbek peoples and of all the peoples of the region. At the end of the telephone talk, the leaders conveyed their best wishes to the Turkmen and Uzbek peoples and expressed their deep confidence that their historical and spiritual community would serve as a guarantee for their effective cooperation in the future. (Turkmen State News Service, October 9) | |||
| China signs anti-terrorist agreement with Uzbekistan to combat crime | |||
 hinese top prosecutor Han Zhubin signed an anti-crime agreement here today with his counterpart in Uzbekistan in an effort to combat the "increasing number of international terrorist activities and cross-border crimes."
Kabirov Rashitjon, general procurator of Uzbekistan, is here to attend the 8th World Conference of the Asia Crime Prevention Foundation, which opens tomorrow. Han is procurator general of China's Supreme People's Procuratorate. Through the agreement, both sides committed to increase and strengthen mutual cooperation in cracking down on international terrorism and cross-border crimes. (Official Chinese News Agency Xinhua, October 12) | |||
| Uzbek charity sends relief aid to militant-hit south | |||
 ollowing the events in Saryassiya and Uzun [Districts in southernmost
Uzbek Surkhandarya Region, where Islamic militants attempted intrusions in
August 2000], the needy, large and low-income families displaced from
mountainous areas [in those Districts] have been constantly provided with
humanitarian aid. A relief train has arrived in Saryassiya carrying foodstuffs,
public health and hygiene kits, household goods and medicines worth 2,690,400
soms [Uzbek currency] from the Soghlom Avlod Uchun [For a Healthy
Generation] international charity foundation. Besides distributing the cargo,
relief agents gave 141 families a checkup.
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| Uzbeks moot teaching national ideology as educational discipline | |||
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n expanded-format collegium was held today at the [Uzbek] Higher and
Secondary Specialized Education Ministry to discuss introducing the
discipline of the main priorities and principles of our national ideology into the
education system. The Education Ministry held a meeting a day earlier to discuss the introduction of the discipline of the main concepts and principles of our national ideology into the education system The today's collegium was a continuation of yesterday's one, as it focused on discussing the teaching of this discipline in colleges and high schools, and educational establishments for bachelor's and master's degrees. But we must admit that the collegium began with a rather more scientific, but quieter, discussion than the Education Ministry meeting. Although it was attended by officials from 27 ministries having their own education systems, institute and university rectors and their deputies, as well as members of the education intelligentsia, the collegium meeting was initially lacking in lively discussion. Because the ideas put forward at it were weak, no sooner had they been voiced than they came under fire. Meanwhile, almost all the proposals put forward at yesterday's meeting of school teachers were taken into consideration. Moreover, the majority of those attending the collegium were said to have been told to draw up their proposals ten days in advance. [Deputy Prime Minister Hamidulla Karomatov] When we last met a week ago, or rather 10 days ago, they, the rectors, were asked to inspect educational establishments and communicate their own ideas of how and in what way this discipline could be introduced into syllabuses for bachelor's and master's degrees, as what sort of discipline or special course or under what kind of programme, or based on what kind of qualification standards. The collegium participants livened up at this remark, and a heated discussion began about ways of introducing our national ideology's main concepts and principles into the natural and social sciences, and about what these special courses would look like. | |||
| Lukashenko says he understands Karimov's absence at Bishkek summit | |||
 t is a pity Uzbek President Islam Karimov did not attend the Collective Security Treaty summit,
Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenko told a news conference following a summit in Bishkek on
Wednesday [11th October].
Lukashenko said he understood that the question of Karimov's absence was directed at him because he, Lukashenko, had denounced Georgia and Uzbekistan for pulling out of the treaty. "Today Uzbekistan is going through hard times and sincerely regrets having done so. Still, that country is a CIS member state, so we must support it," he said. Russian President Vladimir Putin said in turn that every country sets its priorities on its own. "We are in continuous contact with Uzbek leaders," he said. Karimov's presence in Bishkek would have offered additional possibilities, but his absence spells no disaster, he said. While signing documents in Bishkek, Lukashenko made a stipulation that, under the constitution, Belarusian servicemen will not be sent outside the country, he said. Belarus can, however, provide defence supplies in the framework of the Collective Security Treaty, he said, adding that it would provide humanitarian aid and defence hardware to Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Every country that has joined the treaty has its sphere of responsibility, Lukashenko said. "For Belarus and Russia it is the western borders. There we will fight to defend all the signatories of the treaty and the entire CIS," he said. (Interfax, October 11) | |||
| Analysing for Kuchma-Karimov summit: Ukraine's East-West choice | |||
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kraine is still faced with choosing between East and West. To go East, by joining the CIS or a Slavic union, would mean access to natural resources and, at least for Ukrainian Russophiles, pride in being a part of something powerful. But East also means economic and technological stagnation, isolation and quite possibly a return to being a vassal state under an oppressive, militaristic and inefficient government in Moscow.
Turning West has economic, political, social, technological and many other advantages, but Ukraine, still weighed down by its history as a province in the Russian and Soviet empire, has a long way to go to Europe, which must ultimately meet it half way. A third option is the development of regional organizations like GUUAM, which don't contradict Ukraine's European choice, but this option is the most least likely of all. The following is the text of an article from the Ukrainian newspaper `Zerkalo Nedeli', by Bohdan Havrylyshyn on 30th September.
There is a choice between the East and the West. The North and the South cannot be prior geopolitical goals. They can only be a useful supplement to the European market for Ukraine. It is an issue of vital importance for Ukraine to make the right choice and to transform it into reality. This choice is going to define the future nature of social order, the choice of values, political institutions, economic systems, economic efficiency and fairness. In fact this choice could define Ukraine's existence as a unique, sovereign and free country. This reminds one of the "to be or not to be" question. The Commonwealth of Independent States cannot operate as a real integrative institution and cannot entail, following the example of the European Union, the creation of a Eurasian union for republics of the former Soviet Union. All of them, except for Russia, were conquered by force, subdued by tsarist imperial rule and later to Soviet rule. They were united politically and economically in a manner which ruled out the possibility of separation. The republics separated from each other however. Ukraine regarded the CIS as a process of peaceful divorce and not as a means to quietly revive a withering Soviet Union. Even now Ukraine is an associate member of the CIS. The only real Eastern choice for Ukraine is a Slavic union. It would be more appropriate to call it the ESU, an Eastern Slavic union. The idea of a Slavic union based on Pan-Slavism of the 19th century is dead now. Bulgarians, Czechs and Slovaks, having lived under the friendly eye of "big brother", have lost their illusions. The Poles never had any. Some Serbs had conflicting views about it but they were disillusioned when Russia let them down during NATO's intervention. What kind of forces then would stimulate the creation of an Eastern Slavic Union? The major ones are: [Belarusian] President [Alyaksandr] Lukashenka, nostalgia for Russian power, veterans, pensioners and Russophiles in Ukraine. The logic behind an ESU is based on geographic closeness, cultural and language similarities, very interdependent economies and a common history. Advantages of creation of an Eastern Slavic union. Access to cheap energy and other natural resources, access to large markets for goods, the quality of which does not allow them entrance to the world market and the possibility to feel like an integral part of something large and powerful are major obvious advantages for Belarus. Russia could take advantage of regaining the status of a powerful state, able to withstand Western alliances, revival of the idea of mother-Russia, regaining the feeling of self-confidence, privileged status to Russian national minorities in ESU member states and control over a huge market with practical monopoly over Belarus and Ukraine. For Ukraine, it means cheap energy and access to a large market. For Russian speaking citizens and for Russophiles the return of a privileged status also sounds very attractive. Some Russified Ukrainians may be attracted to the idea of a return to slave-like obedience. However, there are obvious disadvantages in such a union. Some of them are based on a quite logical assumption that Russia would dominate over the ESU and that the ESU would be an authoritarian and anti-Western political organization - or at least an organization that is not pro-Western - without a market economy. For Belarus, the ESU would mean limited access to the world at cultural, economic and political levels. The country will most likely remain economically retrograde, with a weak civil society and it will further suffer from a national identity crisis. The ESU would also be a step back for Russia. The temptation to return to authoritarian rule would spread. The joy over the returned status of superpower would be overshadowed by spending for defence and excessive efforts by the state in order to sustain control over the half-empire, instead of modernization and construction of a modern nation-state. Modern Russia is dealing with serious problems. An identity crisis is the first one. Is the Russian Federation a national state or is it still an empire ? What can be considered a common denominator? What is the main foundation of the state? What serves as the "glue" that keeps the federation together? The other dilemma lies in the fact that Russia is still a nuclear giant and an economic dwarf. It is not the easiest task to conciliate these two realities. The Russian Federation is populated not only by Slavs. Other ethnic and religious groups will most likely not feel very comfortable in the Slavic union. It is not expedient to be an empire in the modern world. It is better to dominate over other countries economically rather than politically or territorially. There is also another important factor - costs for government functions increase in geometric progression with growing geographic space and cultural diversity. Altogether, this cancels out the economic advantages of economizing on a large scale. This is one of the explanations of the successful economic development of small homogenous northern European countries. When I predicted the collapse of the Soviet Union in the book entitled "Road Map to the Future: toward more effective societies" in 1980, which was later published in seven languages, high costs for administering a country with a large geographic area and wide cultural diversity was my major argument. The Russian Federation now still has a large geographic territory and is culturally and ethnically diverse. Does Russia, which already has problems of control over the federation, need additional difficulties related to control over an Eastern Slavic union? Possible consequences of an Eastern Slavic union for Ukraine. Ukraine is drawn away from such a "union" precisely because of joint history with Russia and because its joint history was forced (regardless of [Bohdan] Khmelnytskyy's agreement in 1654). The heritage of tsars and commissars had worn Ukraine out, especially Ukrainians. After three hundred years of its status as a Russian colony, the cultural, intellectual and political potential of Ukraine became depleted significantly. Seventy years of Communist rule have destroyed the class of farmers and eliminated the cultural and political elite - if not physically, then by the flow of brains to Russia. After the collapse of the Soviet Union Ukraine had:
- no foreign currency, gold reserves, reserves of precious metals or part of the general Soviet assets abroad, regardless of the agreement according to which Ukraine was supposed to receive 16.7 per cent of these assets; Close economic links with Russia are desirable considering mutual economic dependency and especially Ukraine's dependency on Russian fuel. However a political union would most likely lead to catastrophe. Ukraine would be doomed to economic backwardness, political subordination and civil conflicts. It would be deprived of the possibility to build a free democratic society with an effective economy, strong collective respect and the possibility to feel like a part of the world community. Western choice: integration into the European Union Advantages of the Western choice for Ukraine are perhaps obvious yet they are worth mentioning. Security: Ukraine would be protected from aggression and territorial claims. NATO membership would be more than possible. Government system: guarantees for a pluralistic society, individual freedoms with strong legislative, executive and judicial powers. Economic effectiveness: The economic system and structure would be competitive on levels of international and national markets and would lead to increasing life standards for the population. Technological innovations: the process of creating scientific technologies out of scientific knowledge would improve due to the concentration of a large amount of theoretical knowledge in the direction of commercially profitable innovations by means of a market economy. Social sphere: access to a better educational network in Western Europe, adequate health protection and support for pensioners. Cultural sphere: exchange with Western humanistic culture; preservation of authentic Ukrainian heritage, integration into a global society. "The third way": a modern dominating point of view which lays the foundation of globalization is "What is good for share holders is good for the entire world". The pursuit of income characteristic of share holders causes a growing gap between the rich and the poor, between countries and within countries. Western Europe, with its tradition of social democracy, is demonstrating the harmony of economic effectiveness and social justice. The slogan "People are the goal, income is the means to it" could be a mobilizing force. Many of the listed advantages could be reached by joining the European Union, by better technical aide, harmonization of standards, laws and administrative procedures and an increase in trade. Barriers to the European choice are inevitable but are possible to overcome:
-the current condition of Ukrainian political institutions: legislative, executive and especially judicial; What has to be done in order to make this only wise choice possible? A certain level of mutual approach has been reached already. An agreement on partnership and cooperation, its signing and ratification and the first steps of its implementation are signs of it. The European Union's general strategy, proclaimed in December 1999, was another step in the right direction. Effective membership in the [NATO] Partnership for Peace" programme and a special charter with NATO have also made a contribution. Ukraine has to get rid of mixed feelings, although hidden, about its European choice. The statement that Ukraine's foreign policy has many directions and is not pro-eastern or pro-western, may help in sustaining friendly relations with the eastern neighbour but on the other hand may confuse Ukrainian people and cause doubts on the part of the west about Ukraine's western choice. In order to provide some basic preconditions for joining the EU, Ukraine has to accomplish its administrative reforms, to make its agricultural sector productive, to complete privatization in leading branches. It is also important that warm relations with the IMF are renewed, that as much Western investment as possible is attracted, especially from Western Europe, and that capital which had been taken abroad be returned. This can be achieved by the following conditions:
-stabilization of legislation, which has to be predictable; The European Union must do the following:
-be more "definite" as regards the future of Ukraine's membership in the European Union; Does Ukraine have any other choice? A union of Baltic and Black sea countries is a beautiful dream but is not reality. The improvement of the north-south transport system is desirable, of course, but this is not a solid argument in favour of the creation of any kind of union. The union of GUAMM countries (Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Moldova) has some geopolitical sense because these countries act together without looking for Russia's blessing. The introduction of a visa regime by Russia weakens the international attractiveness of the CIS. That is why GUUAM is strengthening as a consultative forum of five states and has quite specific goals:
- the creation of a Eurasian transport corridor, especially for oil and gas; The above mentioned agreements are not alternative to Western integration. These goals do not contradict Ukraine's European choice. On the contrary, their effective operation would strengthen Ukraine's positions in cooperation with the EU. Historic bridges between Ukraine and Western Europe were established a long time ago. In the 11th century, four children of Yaroslav the Wise were married to members of Western royal families. [His daughter] Anna became a French queen not only because she was beautiful but because she was the most educated person in the French court. Yaroslav created a precedent in Western Europe when he ordered the codification of laws. Western Ukraine has always been linked with Western Europe. Even in central Ukraine in the 20s a Ukrainian representative of literary circles called for "Face to Europe, back to Russia". However the bridges between Ukraine and Western Europe are old. Both sides have to take part in their reconstruction. Ukraine will be a burden for the EU, but it can offer something in return:
-a highly educated population which is suitable for the civilisation of knowledge; If Ukraine joined a Slavic union, Russia could retain the psychological confidence and decisiveness to recreate its super power status and create an anti-Western block again. By joining the EU, Ukraine would significantly decrease this danger, which would also be beneficial for Russia because it would simplify its change to a normal federal national state with peaceful relations with the EU and other countries. Are these only dreams? Yes, but only partly. All kinds of projects start with dreams, don't they? Wasn't it a dream by Jean Monnet to create the European Union? At this historical moment for Ukraine, we have to have almost unbounded dreams which will later transform into stimulating visual images and then a lot of work will be needed in order to turn them into reality. This is our challenge. ('Zerkalo Nedeli', Ukraine, October 12) | |||
| 135 Daewoo Motor executives to resign, some from Uzbek operations | |||
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reditors of South Korea's Daewoo Motor will decide whether to provide fresh loans to the debt-ridden carmaker after they receive the company's self-reform plans, Korea Development Bank (KDB) said on Wednesday.
Separately, Daewoo Motor said it would submit the plan soon and it would include a resignation of 135 Daewoo Motor executives in a move to help facilitate restructuring. Analysts said new loans would be critical to keep the cash-strapped carmaker going before it finds a buyer. "Fresh loans to Daewoo Motor will be determined by creditors after the carmaker turns in the self-rescue plan," a KDB spokesman told Reuters by telephone. The automaker has said it needs an additional 450 billion won ($402.1 million) by the end of this year to stay in business. Yonhap news agency said that KDB and four other creditor banks had provided Daewoo Motor with 100 billion won on Monday and Tuesday as part of funding already agreed since Daewoo Motor was put under a debt workout programme in August 1999. The spokesman could not confirm the report and KDB officials in charge of Daewoo Motor were not immediately available for comment. EXECUTIVES OFFER TO RESIGN On the question of resignations, a Daewoo Motor spokesman told Reuters by telephone: "The 135 executives have offered to resign, which will be part of the self-reform plan to be submited very soon." He said 54 were Daewoo Motor executives working in overseas operations in Poland, Romania, Uzbekistan and India and the rest in Korea. The spokesman said Daewoo Motor has suspended production of city buses due to a serious slowdown in demand, but it will maintain express bus production. Daewoo Motor is one of 12 Daewoo Group 1/8DWGR.UL 3/8 firms creditors rescued last year and are currently trying to restructure and sell off. GM, FIAT IN SIGHT As Daewoo and creditors negotiate funding, the world's largest automaker, General Motors , has said this week it and partner Fiat SpA would enter into talks to buy assets of Daewoo Motor and its related companies. GM lost out to Ford Motor Co in June for the right to enter exclusive talks with Daewoo but has shown renewed interest since Ford abruptly pulled out of negotiations last month, two weeks before it was expected to make a binding offer. GM is seen as the best informed party regarding Daewoo Motor, as the two had a 15-year alliance which ended in 1992. In the wake of Ford's pullout from talks with Daewoo Motor, KDB had vowed to find a new buyer by October 20. But analysts said an October 20 target for a firm bid on the Daewoo auto-related companies appeared unrealistic and a year-end target set for corporate restructuring by the government was more important and realistic. | |||
| Uzbeks seize 1.2 kg of heroin from three Moscow-bound Tajiks | |||
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olice at Bukhara's railway station have simultaneously seized three drug
couriers on a passenger train en route for Moscow from [the Tajik capital]
Dushanbe.
All of them were carrying drugs in their stomachs, putting their lives at
risk. All three of the young people, Alisher Samandarov, Muradali
Karshyyev and Agzamjon Sufiyev, are Tajik citizens. One of them had
swallowed 92 pellets filled with heroin, another 34 and the third 50, each
person carrying an average weight of 400 grams. At present, the drug
couriers are being kept in detention, and an investigation into the
incident has been launched. The Bukhara railway police have solved about 100 drug-related crimes since the start of 2000. (Uzbek TV, October 11) | |||
| CIS presidents to gather for security session in Bishkek on 11 October | |||
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he CIS Security Council intends to establish the status of regional armed forces in Bishkek, Kyrgyz capital, 11th October. Russia is forced to turn to the Asian region, which is becoming a breeding ground or a transit area for Islamic extremists, drug dealers and arms smugglers. The immediate vicinity to the "homeland" of these phenomena - Afghanistan - makes them [phenomena] grow stronger as the Taleban movement's fighters draw nearer the southern borders of the CIS. A specific plan of action is required as never before from the Antiterrorist Centre, which was set up recently and is called upon to counter constantly sorties by religious extremists, international terrorists and smugglers. The presidents of the countries that have signed the CIS Collective Security Treaty - Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan will sound out at the Security Council's session in Bishkek how deeply the Russian armed forces will be involved in Central Asia and their interaction with the region's armies in the fight against the outside threat. The presidents are expected to sign an agreement on deepening military and political integration within the framework of the CIS Collective Security Treaty. Issues on the protection of borders and military and technical supply will be discussed at bilateral talks. These six countries [with the exception of Uzbekistan] extended their membership of the Collective Security Treaty for another five years last year. This means that in the event of aggression against any state which has signed the treaty, all the others will join the fight against the aggressor. Any state can join the agreement. Another feature of the summit of the six countries is that the Kyrgyz Security Council's secretary, Bolot Dzhanuzakov, has not ruled out that stability in the Central Asian region will be undermined if the developments in Afghanistan cause an exodus of hundreds of thousands of refugees into Tajikistan and this may turn into a humanitarian catastrophe. As regards mutual relations between Kyrgyzstan and Russia, talks are expected to be held between [Russian President] Vladimir Putin and Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev on military and technical and military and political interaction, on placing military orders at Kyrgyz plants and, perhaps, the issue of allocating military test areas to Russia will be raised at the talks, a preliminary agreement on which has been reached already. There is no hint about a meeting being between Vladimir Putin and the Slavonic diaspora in Kyrgyzstan, but representatives of the Russian-speaking population are trying hard to hold this meeting. | |||
| Synagogue in Uzbekistan destroyed by fire | |||
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n the late evening, just hours after hundreds of people had left following the Jewish High Holy Day of Yom
Kippur, the Bukharan Synagogue in Tashkent, Uzbekistan was destroyed in a fire. Five of the synagogue's seven
Torah scrolls were lost in the conflagration.
The Bukharan Synagogue is one of only four Jewish houses of worship in the city of Tashkent. In a phone
conversation with Mr. Lev Leviev, President of the Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS, the Foreign
Minister of Uzbekistan promised a full investigation into the fire. Until the cause is determined he also stated that
there would be special security for the Jewish community. A government commission has been set up to investigate, a rabbi said Tuesday. The fire, whose cause has not been determined, left only the synagogue's frame standing, Rabbi Abe David Gurevich said. Five of seven hand-copied Torah scrolls were destroyed, while firemen managed to save two others, Gurevich said. "I am so grateful to the firemen who managed to save the two remaining Torahs, risking their lives," said Gurevich. Gurevich said that investigators hadn't established whether the fire, which started late Monday, was caused by a short circuit or arson. He said that nonetheless he would ask for police protection for other synagogues and a Jewish school. Law enforcement officials could not be reached. There are eight synagogues in the Central Asian country, four in the capital Tashkent. | |||
| Aral Sea charity set up in northwestern Uzbekistan | |||
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charity foundation called "Anakhita" has been set up in the [northwestern
Uzbek autonomous] Republic of Karakalpakistan. The chairman of the
Karakalpak Supreme Council, T. [Temur] Kamolov, delivered a speech at its
founding congress and pointed out that the charity would play an important
role in providing humanitarian aid and coordinating relief to the Aral Sea
population from abroad. The meeting adopted the charity's management
regulations and its statute.
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| Ukrainian president to visit Uzbekistan October 12-13 | |||
 overnment of Uzbekistan announced that the president of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma would pay
an official state visit to Uzbekistan October 12-13 to meet with President Kairmovþ During the visit, the sides are going to discuss the state and future of the
development of bilateral relations, as well as issues of international and
regional importance. They also plan to sign several bilateral documents.
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| Festival of Italian films to be held in Tashkent this month | |||
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he festival of Italian films will be held in Tashkent this month within the framework of exhibition
"Expo Italy 2000" of modern technology and ready made products.
The presentation of the film "Elvis and Merlin", produced by young Italian producer Armando Manni,
will take place at the Art Palace named after Alisher Navoi on October 10 (the English version of
the film will take place in the following day). "We have decided to continue introducing Uzbek audience wit the works of modern Italian producers", - told Cultural Attaché of the Italian Embassy in Uzbekistan Ms. Adriana Santolinni to "Turkiston-press". "The film to be presented this time, "Elvis and Merlin", is about the problems which are common for many youngsters nowadays. However, I believe, it could be interesting for people of all ages", said Ms. Santolinni. | |||
| Uzbekistan harvested 2.448 million tons of cotton, 62% of target | |||
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he cotton harvest is continuing in the fields of Uzbekistan. As of October 9 Uzbekistan has
harvested 2.448 million tonnes of cotton so far this season, or over 63 percent of the target for 2000.
Uzbekistan plans to produce 3.9 million tonnes of cotton this year, after reaching 3.68 million tonnes
in 1999. Although officially not confirmed, drought may affect some parts of Central Asia would have an impact on the eventual harvest in Uzbekistan. Earlier reports said last month at least 30,000 hectares had perished due to the lack of water. About 1.4 million hectares of land were sown with cotton this year, down from 1.5 million in previous years as the country tried to reduce its reliance on cotton by growing more grain. The harvest season in Uzbekistan started in September and will continue until the beginning of November. Exports of cotton brought in $884 million last year, or 27 percent of Uzbekistan's total export earnings. | |||
| Uzbekistan produces genetically engineered protein for hepatitis B vaccine | |||
 epatitis B is considered to be widespread and dangerous,
leading to serious complications, and very often a fatal outcome. Its
prevention depends mainly on diagnosing and vaccinating against it in time.
That is why the results of scientific and practical research into ways of
obtaining and manufacturing hepatitis diagnostic equipment and vaccines in
Uzbekistan is so important.Given the spread of hepatitis B, epidemiology is topical and serious. The issue of pooling specialist efforts against the disease has been settled at a government level. The country's leading scientists headed by a doctor of biological sciences, Shakhnoza Azimova, have, using a genetic engineering method, synthesized protein that can be used as a vaccine against hepatitis B. These results are at an international level and have been achieved with the support of the Uzbek State Science and Technology Committee, which provided funds for genetic engineering research, particularly for solving this issue. Research efforts were crowned with this success also thanks to the committee pooling scientists' efforts at one at the country's major scientific centres which involved genetics, experimental plant biology, bioorganic chemistry and infectious disease epidemiology institutions. For a non-expert, this is an ordinary cocoon worm. Scientists, employing a genetic engineering method, have turned this worm into a live biofactory of its own kind that can constantly synthesize protein, the principal element of a vaccine against hepatitis B. | |||
| Uzbek banking sector seen in better shape | |||
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he situation in Uzbekistan's banking sector
considerably improved in the third quarter of the year due to
liberalization and reorganization measures, the press centre of
Uzbekistan's Central Bank has told Interfax.
The assets of Uzbek banks increased by 190bn soms to total 1,521bn soms in
the period from July to September, the press service said. The official
exchange rate on 9th October stood at 300.81 soms for one dollar. (Russian news agency Interfax, October 9)
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| Time running out for drought-hit Aral Sea region | |||
 very morning, eight-year-old
Selima climbs several feet down into a well and hands up pail after pail of
brackish water to her mother.
It is a chore she has performed every day this summer after rains failed in the parched Karakalpakstan region, killing crops and leaving most of its 1.5 million people in the grip of a drought that experts say could lead to starvation this winter. "The crops have died and we have no work, no money and no food," said Sagyntay Oinarov, a bearded patriarch whose hut stands near the once-abandoned hole that now provides water for Borshetau's 350 people. "The only thing we do now is hunt for water to drink but what we shall do in winter, God only knows." In Oinarov's kitchen garden, a few limp green leaves compete for survival under a baking sun. But for miles around, the fields are bowls of swirling dust, which has settled in ghostly layers on shrubs, the villagers' bodies and their thatched mud huts. A stranger would find it hard to believe this arid land half the size of Italy, in western Uzbekistan, once bordered the sea. The Aral, the world's fourth largest inland body of water, has receded hundreds of miles since the 1960s, leaving in its wake villages stricken with a dwindling water supply, summers that are hotter and soil that is saltier with each passing year. TIME OF TROUBLES Oinarov says even the oldest cannot remember such a time of troubles. Almost all the rice and cotton has perished, leaving the villagers with no resources for the winter. Humanitarian agencies say about one million people could face starvation this winter, with more than a third of Uzbekistan's 24 million population suffering from drought. About $30-40 million is needed to avert disaster, they say. The pitiful cotton bushes that remain are a few inches -- they should be waist high by the autumn harvest time. "Cotton should be watered at least three times," says one farmer. "But this year not one shower fell and even the reservoirs and canals that bring in water have dried up." And even the underground water that Selima and her mother spend hours collecting is cursed. Rudy Rodriguez, the UNICEF representative in Uzbekistan, says most water in the area is highly saline, killing vegetation and causing stunted growth and damage to internal organs in people as well as animals. Salinity levels in deep bore wells in the region are up to 90 percent above World Health Organisation Standards. "This is a creeping emergency," Rodriguez says. "It is not yet an Africa-like famine scenario, but after three months we could see it becoming one." DISASTER CREEPING CLOSER The disaster has been creeping closer for two decades. Karakalpakstan's troubles are closely linked to the Aral Sea. They can be traced to the day when Soviet engineers first diverted water from the river Amu Darya into canals to irrigate the steppe and produce cotton for the country's textile mills. Cotton yields jumped but the canals sucked water from the river, depriving the Aral of its main source of water. The volume of water in the sea is less than half its 1960 levels. In Moinaq, a few hours drive from Borshetau, jetties and ships are marooned in the sand like giant whales, reminders of a port that flourished just 35 years ago. If anything, the situation here is even worse than in Borshetau. "By 1980 the river was just a trickle when it reached the Aral," recalls 66-year-old Sergei Bakaushin, former head of a flotilla of fishing boats that caught 15,000 tonnes of sturgeon every year. "We had to sail further each year to find fish." The last fishing boat set sail from Moinaq in May 1983 and returned with exactly one fish. That day Bakaushin quit his job. Since then large parts of the Aral have turned into a giant wasteland, whose salt has been blown by the winds to the four corners of the earth and covered Karakalpakstan, leaving much of the soil unfit for agriculture. The exposed seabed is now as big as the Netherlands. "Everything has changed in the past 20 years," Bakaushin says. "Now we can neither fish nor grow crops. If earlier Moinaq lived better than elsewhere in Uzbekistan, now we are the worst. "Foreigners come, see our plight, promise help and then leave. That is the last we usually see of them." RUNNING OUT OF TIME But if help does not come this time, Karakalpakstan will not get through the winter, the United Nations says. In normal times, parts of the province are usually irrigated by an intricate Soviet-era canal network which pumps in water from wetter areas of Uzbekistan. This, together with huge doses of fertilisers, sustains agriculture in the hostile climate. But this year rains have failed over much of the Central Asian state, which has seen 300,000 hectares (741,300 acres) of sown land fall prey to the drought leaving grain output at a meagre 3.0 million tonnes against the targeted 4.89 million. Rains in May and June this year were less than 15 percent of the usual amount, Uzbek officials say. Six other provinces are suffering from drought though none is as bad as Karakalpakstan. But agriculturalists say that in the long run the entire system of farming in Karakalpakstan needs to be changed -- from water-intensive crops like rice, whose cultivation was dictated by the Communist Party, to less demanding ones like sunflowers. There is also a pressing need for more efficient water management. Experts say much of the Amu Darya water diverted to canals is lost in the desert sands, while big cities such as Tashkent consume far more water than they actually need. But for many Karakalpaks it is already too late. Life expectancy in the province is six years less than Uzbekistan's average of 70 years, while infant mortality rates are higher. Rodriguez points to a fifth-grade class of 11 year olds in Uchsai village as typical. Not one child looks older than eight -- the result of years of malnutrition. Most of them suffer from severe anaemia and goitre as well as respiratory disorders caused by the pesticide-laden dust. And none of them have ever seen the sea, which once lay just a few hundred metres from the school fence. "I have four sons and nine grandchildren and we all live on the pensions my wife and I get," says 63-year-old former English teacher Zhetes Utegenov. "When we die, they are all doomed." Utegenov's grandchildren are still in school simply because there is nothing else to do. Schools in the province have been repaired by UNICEF which also provides textbooks and stationery but Utegenov has no illusions about their future. "We are on the edge of the world. This year is especially bad but we all are slowly dying and there is no place to go." (Reuters, October 9) | |||
| Kazakh residents clash with Uzbek customs officers in border area | |||
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conflict occurred between local residents and Uzbek
customs officers in Saryagash District of South Kazakhstan Region bordering
on Uzbekistan last Sunday [8th October], Interfax-Kazakhstan correspondent
was told at the Main Interior Directorate of South Kazkhstan Region.
According to the Main Interior Directorate, eight people in the uniforms of customs service officers, four of whom were armed with Makarov pistols and rubber clubs, carried out a raid on Sunday afternoon to prevent the unregulated trade of fuel and lubricants by Uzbek citizens on the territory of Kazakhstan. The Main Interior Directorate reports that a conflict occurred between the local residents and the customs officers, as a result of which one of the customs officers fired several shots into the air. Two of the local residents were beaten up by the customs officers, the Main Interior Directorate reports. After 10-15 local residents got involved in the conflict, the [Uzbek] customs officers left Saryagash District. According to the Main Interior Directorate, the residents who took part in the conflict quickly got in touch with the law-enforcement bodies and voluntarily handed in a Makarov pistol and cartridges taken away from the customs officers. The South Kazakhstan Regional police have established that the pistol belonged to a lieutenant from the Tashkent Regional State Customs Directorate of Uzbekistan. Interfax-Kazakhstan correspondent reports that an operations group who went to the scene of action found three empty Makarov pistol cartridge cases. One of the bullets broke the windscreen of a car. Investigations are under way into the incident, the Main Interior Directorate reports. (Kazakh news agency Interfax-Kazakhstan, October 9) | |||
| About 10,000 Uzbeks against Afghan Taleban in northeast | |||
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commander of the Northern Alliance of Afghanistan has denied that the
ethnic Uzbeks cooperated with the Taleban during the fall of [the capital
of northeastern Takhar Province, former main stronghold of the Northern
Alliance] Taloqan. Ghulamshah Hashimi, who is a commander of a group of
the Northern Alliance forces around Taloqan, said on Sunday [8th October]
that now about 10,000 ethnic Uzbek armed forces were standing against the
Taleban in Takhar Province.
Saying that 8,000 Pakistani troops had collaborated with the Taleban during the fall of Taloqan, he added that 4,000 Taleban troops had been killed and wounded, against 1,000 killed and wounded of the United Islamic Front [for the Salvation of Afghanistan] during the fall of the city. Ghulamshah Hashimi said that over 100,000 city residents fled to Badakhshan Province during the Taleban's attack on Taloqan and added that they were now living in the most severe conditions. (Iranian radio from Mashhad, October 9) | |||
| Uzbekistan launches programme on radon safety | |||
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zbekistan is carrying out a programme to cut the risk of radiation from
natural sources of radon, the Uzbek newspaper `Narodnoye Slovo' reported on
29th September. The programme, scheduled for 2000-2005, is in line with
Article 15 of the republic's new law on radiation safety, which specifies
that all planning and construction must take account of natural sources of
natural radionuclides.
A specialist identified as A. Yafasov, interviewed for the newspaper by an Uzbekistan national news agency correspondent, said that by law, construction materials and products must meet radiation safety standards, and in housing and industrial premises the population and staff must not be exposed to radiation levels above the maximum permissible levels. The law also stipulates that specialists must inspect and issue certificates on all new construction sites. "Reduction of the maximum permissible concentration of radon is envisaged under both international and republican regulations, as the new law establishes, on the one hand; and, on the other hand, this reflects the fundamental approach of the country's leadership towards protecting the people's health. In Tashkent alone, radon levels in 14.2 per cent of buildings are several times above the permitted levels. Several times!" Yafasov said. The danger is greatest in cellars, basements and poorly-ventilated rooms. In tackling the problem the first task, Yafasov said, is to obtain modern measuring instruments and to take readings at industrial waste dumps in the eastern Fergana valley, at Mayli-Say in Kyrgyzstan's Dzhalal-Abad Region and in the central Kyzylkum in Uzbekistan's Navoi Region "in order to get some idea of the scale of fight against the radon hazard and to map out the main preventive measures". In addition, stricter controls on the sale of mineral waters need to be brought in, he said. | |||
| NATO scientists begin Aral Sea project in Uzbekistan | |||
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group of NATO scientists visited Karakalpakistan to begin a
project called "Stable development of environmental protection, land and
water utilization by setting up a centre for geographical information
system technologies and space mapping in Karakalpakistan". Following
official meetings, the scientists signed a cooperation accord with the
autonomous republic's government. An agreement on cooperation was also
reached with the Macroeconomics and Statistics Ministry. As part of the project, several scientific and practical tasks will be carried out, such as arranging the monitoring of the Aral Sea by collecting information about its volume, salinity level and ongoing processes on the dried-up seabed. Studies will also be carried out into the desertification processes and biological diversity of the Amudarya [river] delta, taking into account forecasts of various inundation scenarios. In addition, scientists plan to use photographic data to draw maps of the use of agricultural lands in the delta and to set up a computerized system for managing agricultural crops. The project involves a large programme for developing the skills of the staff of ministries and departments in using geographical information system technologies. Uzbek scientists and specialists are to attend international conferences and seminars organized by NATO as part of the "Science for Peace" project. The information gathered and the results of the programme will be disseminated and announced over the Internet and through special bulletins. The project will take two and a half years. Particular emphasis is expected to be put on the Baday-Tugay nature reserve which is at present in a critical state. | |||
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