Turkmen, Uzbek defense ministers agree to cooperate on security issues
Associated Press
September 29The Turkmen and Uzbek defense ministers have agreed to cooperate on security issues in an apparent effort by the Central Asian neighbors to improve their strained relations, official newspapers said Wednesday.
The two ex-Soviet countries, which are both ruled by autocratic leaders, have had limited contact since the 1991 Soviet collapse due to border and resource sharing disputes.
Relations were further strained when Turkmen authorities accused Uzbekistan of aiding some of the attackers involved in an alleged November 2002 assassination attempt on Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov. The incident led to a military buildup on both sides of the border.
However, Turkmen Defense Minister Agageldy Mamedgeldyyev and his Uzbek counterpart Kadyr Gulyamov on Tuesday "confirmed mutual aspiration for long-term military cooperation based on mutual respect and trust" at a meeting in the Turkmen border town of Turkmenabat, the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper said.
The ministers discussed military cooperation, regional security and confidence building measures in border areas, the paper said. They agreed to exchange information and hold consultations on military and security issues.
The meeting comes less than two weeks after Niyazov urged law enforcement authorities to strengthen border controls to stop weapons smuggling from Uzbekistan. The Uzbek border is also often used by Turkmen dissidents to flee persecution at home.
Borders across former Soviet Central Asia are loosely controlled _ the frontiers between them were uncontrolled and unmarked before the countries gained independence in 1991.