he Russian government on Saturday approved a draft agreement with Moldova on mutual visa- free trips by their citizens.

Another government resolution approved a similar draft agreement with Uzbekistan, the government press department told Itar-Tass.

The draft agreements allow the citizens of these countries to leave, enter, transit and travel on each other's territory without visas by one of the identification documents listed in the supplements to the agreements. The sides will exchange their samples through diplomatic channels immediately after the agreements have been signed.

Citizens will enter and exit through checkpoints opened for international traffic.

The sides have reserved the right to suspend some of the provisions in the agreements if this is necessary for the protection of their borders and territories in case of emergency, including in situations that endanger security, public order or the health of people.

The agreements will temporarily apply from the date of signature and will come into force when the last written notice confirming the completion of internal procedures is received.

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Several drug smugglers who had 7 kg of heroin with them were detained in the operation on the Russian-Kazakh border.

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BAAS, a company well known in international hotel business manages Tashkent Intercontinental Hotel.

The agreement was signed by the General Director of Uzbekistan Havo Yullari Arslan Ruzmetov and the General Manager of the Hotel Intercontinental Tashkent Keith Kramer.

Havo Yullari office opening ceremony was then held in the Hotel whose management expressed their interest in promoting Havo Yullari to world markets and in advertising activities.

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t became known today that the [permanent] representative of the IMF in Uzbekistan had announced his intention to stop his activity in the country from 1st April 2001. Thus Christoph Rosenberg revealed the IMF's disagreement with the economic policy of Tashkent. Our correspondents have a more detailed report on this.

Christoph Rosenberg, the IMF representative in Uzbekistan, said that he would close his mission on 1st April next year, if Tashkent did not change its economic policy. This is the second time that the IMF has announced its disapproval of Tashkent's economic reforms.

Christoph Rosenberg did not meet journalists. He issued a press release, saying that one of the basic conditions for cooperation with the IMF - free purchase and sale of foreign currencies - has been violated.

The circulation of foreign currencies is banned in Uzbekistan. Official exchange rates are much lower than market prices, which in its turn provides grounds for development of a black foreign currency market. The official announcement by Uzbek President Islam Karimov during his visit to the USA in spring this year that Tashkent would not introduce free exchange of currencies in the next two or three years, was the reason for such a harsh statement by the IMF.

Like it or not, Uzbekistan's reluctance to meet tough IMF and World Bank demands was the reason why a 240m dollar preferential credit aimed at supporting the national currency [the som] was refused [to Uzbekistan]. The agreement on this was signed and came into force in 1995, however, in a year the IMF suspended its implementation, calling on Tashkent to change its economic policy.

There has been no reaction since then [from Uzbekistan], however, the IMF is still patiently waiting for the implementation of the terms of bilateral cooperation. The IMF experts think that the growing foreign currency deficit might have a serious impact on the stability of the country's economy. However, the IMF representative's judgement will inevitably lead to an increase in foreign investors distrust in Uzbekistan.

Incidentally, the indices of direct investments into Uzbekistan's economy are not so high now. According to the IMF, they [direct investments] were eight dollars per capita in the republic in 1999. The situation will probably become more complicated because of the drought. Cotton harvest fell by 20 per cent this year. This is Uzbekistan's main export product. Against the background of this, the national currency is depreciating. The official exchange rate of the dollar is 319 soms now, whereas on the black market it is 850 soms for one dollar. It is impossible to say whether the situation will change soon. April 2001 will show.

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delegation led by the Kazakh foreign minister, Yerlan Idrisov, has arrived in Uzbekistan on a three-day official visit.

Uzbek President Islam Karimov received Kazakh Foreign Minister Yerlan Idrisov in his Oqsaroy residence today. Issues of developing bilateral trade and economic cooperation, the problems of smuggling on the countries' borders, regional security and other threats to the two countries' security were discussed during the meeting.

The president welcomed the Kazakh minister and said that as equal members of the world community Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan should raise bilateral relations in all sectors to a higher level. Over 60 interstate documents have been sighed between the two countries which will serve to develop bilateral cooperation.

Mr. Idrisov is in Uzbekistan to discuss details of the upcoming summit of the Central Asian Economic Community in Almaty.

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he UN permanent representative in Uzbekistan, Pavel Kral, and Bahodir Khojayev, an Uzbek deputy finance minister, have signed in Tashkent a project on urgent measures to alleviate the aftermath of the drought in Uzbekistan.

The project envisages assistance in providing with pure drinking water the population of the areas in Karakalpakistan which have affected by the drought. This means buying and installing about 300 small pumps in Karauzyak, Takhtakupyr and Bozatau Districts. This will enable to provide with drinking water more than 10,000 people in 70 settlements.

Apart from this, the autonomous republic will be given support in managing, coordinating and monitoring urgent humanitarian aid. Pavel Kral said that the new project was important because it targeted specific people. It is financed by the UNDP. The project's total cost is 150,000 dollars and it will be implemented in six-month's time.

Bahodir Khojayev said that an agreement had been reached with the World Bank to grant Uzbekistan 1m dollars to buy medical equipment and medicines and about 6m dollars to buy irrigation and land reclamation machinery, and equipment for pumping stations.

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