оссия и Узбекистан намерены сделать все возможное в двусторонних отношениях не только для того, чтобы время от времени "сверять часы" и "развязывать узлы проблем", но и делать все, "чтобы эти узлы не завязывались". Об этом четко было заявлено в начале встречи в Минске Президента РФ Владимира Путина с Президентом Узбекистана Исламом Каримовым. Оба президента прибыли в Минск для участия в заседании Совета глав государств СНГ, а до его начала проводят двустороннюю встречу.

"Я рад возможности видеть Вас, это хороший повод встретиться", - подчеркнул Владимир Путин в начале беседы.

Президент РФ отметил, что с Исламом Каримовым они договаривались и ранее "постоянно поддерживать личный контакт на высоком уровне". Владимир Путин сказал, что "по целому ряду проблем есть необходимость сверить часы".

В свою очередь Ислам Каримов заявил, что "каждая встреча с российским президентом имеет большое значение не только для развязывания узлов, но и для сверки при решении разных проблем".

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збекский и белорусский президенты Ислам Каримов и Александр Лукашенко в ходе состоявшейся сегодня встречи подтвердили стремление развивать долгосрочное сотрудничество между двумя странами.

Как передает корреспондент РИА "Новости", глава белорусского государства подчеркнул в ходе встречи, что у Белоруссии "есть потребность и заинтересованность в сотрудничестве" с Узбекистаном. По словам Лукашенко, "он очень давно не встречался с президентом Узбекистана, в связи с этим назрели проблемы, которые необходимо обсудить".

В свою очередь, глава Узбекистана отметил, что он всегда был приверженцем развития белорусско-узбекских отношений. "У нас есть интерес к Белоруссии, и мы хотим строить долгосрочное сотрудничество и взаимные отношения", - сказал Ислам Каримов.

Узбекистан является пятым по значению торговым партнером Белоруссии среди стран СНГ. Однако, как отмечают эксперты, в последнее время в торгово-экономических отношениях двух стран прослеживается тенденция снижения внешнеторгового оборота. Так, в январе-сентябре этого года по сравнению с аналогичным периодом прошлого года товарооборот между странами уменьшился на 21,7 процента и составил 25,15 млн долларов США.

В настоящее время рассматривается вопрос о проведении первого заседания межправительственной белорусско-узбекистанской комиссии по торгово-экономическому сотрудничеству.

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he presidents of Russia and Uzbekistan, Vladimir Putin and Islam Karimov, had talks on Friday which were described as "interested" and "extremely sincere" by deputy head of the Russian president's administration Sergey Prikhodko. The two presidents have just concluded their talks in Minsk where they arrived for a meeting of the Council of heads of state of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

Prikhodko said questions connected with the situation regarding Afghanistan in Central Asia and in various Central Asian countries were in the focus of the talks.

The two presidents stressed the need for vigorous interaction and agreed that Russia and Uzbekistan should interact in combating international terrorism and religious extremism on a bilateral basis and in cooperation with other countries.

Prikhodko said Karimov "set out in detail his view of the situation in the region, and the presidents decided to issue instructions to appropriate ministries on this matter".

Prikhodko said that during the conversation the Uzbek president "showed keen interest in the course of work to form the Eurasian economic community".

The two presidents also discussed matters connected with the coming meeting in Minsk of the Council of heads of state of the CIS. Karimov stressed the importance of a regular dialogue with the Russian president. He believes this dialogue has "serious influence on the broadening of cooperation and deepening of confidence between Russia and Uzbekistan".

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Along with that, "Uzbekistan will categorically oppose the creation of any regional or other agencies called "anti-terrorist centres", Jumayev said.

The press secretary also stressed that Islam Karimov was extremely interested in expediting the organizational procedures for the setting up of a free trade zone in the CIS space. According to Jumayev, Uzbekistan is very much worried by the fact that the Agreement on the creation of a free trade zone has not yet been ratified by a number of CIS member-states. Jumayev noted that economic issues will be of priority importance to Uzbekistan at the CIS summit in Minsk.

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Rustam Kasimdzhanov (UZB) - Tregubov, P. (RUS) - 1-0

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The minister noted in an exclusive interview with ITAR-TASS that the HIV-related situation in the republic is getting regrettably worse. He said that while only 51 cases of this "plague of the century" were registered in Uzbekistan in the first ten years of the epidemic, 25 cases were registered last year and nearly 100 HIV-infected persons were registered this year.

Uzbekistan has promulgated a law "Concerning measures to prevent contracting AIDS" and a number of centres have been opened in the republic this year to provide confidential advice on HIV prevention. The health minister said such centres are operating in all major cities of the republic.

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he Tashkent police have detained a conductor from a Tashkent-Irkutsk train in a street in the capital [i.e. Tashkent] in possession of 8.42 kg of heroin, which he had hidden in the back seat of his car.

The drug courier was to have smuggled the load of 'white death' to Russia, more precisely to Irkutsk, where he would have received 500 dollars for each kilogram".

Following completion of the investigation, he will have to face the full rigours of the law".

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Over video of a map of the movements of "terrorists" the correspondent said that the movement of terrorists began from Tavildara District in central Tajikistan. The report included archive pictures of alleged terrorist training basis in Tavildara; combat operations against militants in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan; dead bodies said to be those of militants killed during the operations; President Islam Karimov visiting southern Districts in September this year and talking to servicemen; interviews with Ulughbek Mahmudov and Olimjon Abduvohidov who were tried in Uzbekistan for involvement in terrorist acts and sentenced to terms of imprisonment; and archive pictures of events in 1991 in eastern Namangan when a crowd occupied the building of the Regional administration and demanded a meeting with the president.

Over photos of the leader of the United Tajik Opposition, Sayed Abdullo Nuri, Tajik Emergency Situations Minister Mirzo Ziyoyev, and leaders of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan Tohir Yoldosh and Juma Khojiyev, the correspondent said that "they all had a meeting in their headquarters in Tavildara".

The programme also included archive pictures of Karimov speaking at a UN meeting, an interview with the UNDCCP chairman, Pino Arlacchi, saying that the bulk of narcotics are produced in Afghanistan; Uzbek customs experts inspecting a passenger train and taking out alleged narcotics from hiding places in carriages; sniffer dogs examining lorries, alleged confiscated narcotic substances, scenes of destroying confiscated drugs.

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Kommersant: A report that the US Air Force was planning a "revenge attack" in response to the attack on the Cole appeared around three weeks ago, citing sources in the Pentagon. It was picked up by European media, according to whom countries bordering on Afghanistan, including Uzbekistan, would be involved in actions against the Taleban. It is allegedly prepared to let the Americans use its air bases near Tashkent and Termez.

Yesterday, Tashkent officials denied this report. Uzbekistan Security Council Secretary Mirakbar Rahmonkulov told a Kommersant correspondent that Uzbekistan will not be participating in the bombing of Afghan cities, because it has "never let foreign military formations use its bases and has no intention of doing so in the future".

Moreover, Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Komilov said that bombing the Taleban from Uzbekistan is basically impossible since somewhat earlier President Islam Karimov had said that his country did not want a "protracted war with the Taleban", who are currently a "real force in Afghanistan". Uzbekistan is now prepared to relax arrangements on the Afghan border in exchange for security guarantees. Mr Komilov reacted positively to the continuing contacts in Islamabad between Kazakh and Taleban diplomats and said that "our working meetings with the Taleban will also continue".

As far as Uzbekistan is concerned the issue of Afghanistan is closely connected with the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IDU), which is based in Taleban camps. The leader of the IDU, Tohir Yoldosh has been sentenced to death in Uzbekistan. But Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Komilov denied a report in the press that Uzbekistan had proposed that the Taleban hand over Mr Yoldosh in exchange for electricity for the Afghan city of Mazar-e Sharif.

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Working contacts with the Taliban are on-going through the Uzbek ambassador in Islamabad, Kamilov said, and these are aimed primarily at averting any threats to Uzbekistan from Afghanistan.

Kamilov confirmed that Uzbekistan is insisting on the extradition of Islamic Movement members, as well as an end to any Taliban assistance for them. However, he noted, the Taliban has not given any firm promises. Nevertheless, "Uzbekistan raises these questions in principle, and in the event of positive decisions on them is ready for considerable bilateral cooperation," he said.

Uzbek National Security Council Secretary Mir-Akbar Rakhmonkulov and presidential spokesman Rustam Dzhumayev were also on hand for the news conference.

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t the academy of state and social construction under the President, there was an international conference “On the road to a UN charter for local self-administration: the demand of the 21st c.” it was organized by the Conrad Adenauer fund, the Swiss agency for development and cooperation, the international center for training journalists, and attracted government and makhalla officials, as well as ordinary citizens. It was opened by academy rector A.Azizkhodjaev, who noted that the broad democratic reforms taking place and the policy of strengthening human rights are intended to create a civilian society here. The legal basis is the basic law in the Constitution and legislation. Organs of self-management and the participation of citizens in social life allow the improvement in the spiritual life in makhallas and the social defense of workers.

The reports “Decentralization – the basic condition of building a civilian society” and “Legal bases and international experience in self-management” were heard. The German Ambassador Martin Hekker and the Swiss Ambassador Pierre Hjanovski attended.

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Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development in cooperation with Joint Development Associates International (JDA), this almost completed project has the goal of drilling 35 wells. These wells will provide safe drinking water for the people of six villages in the Muynak area near the Aral Sea. This project and other U.S. government humanitarian assistance are in response to this year's severe drought in Karakalpakstan.

During his visit Ambassador Herbst also met U.S. Peace Corps volunteers who are working in Karakalpakstan. This was Ambassador Herbst's first official visit outside of Tashkent, since his arrival in Uzbekistan earlier this month.

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