| January 30-February 6, 1999 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Ambassadors-designate present their credentials
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Ambassadors-designate of Kuweit Fawzi Abdulaziz Al-Josim and of Zambia Francis Gershum
Simamb presented their credentials to President Islam Karimov.
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Six CIS states to extend collective security pact
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The foreign ministers of Russia, Belarus,
Armenia, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan confirmed the intentions of
their countries to extend their participation in the CIS Collective Security Treaty,
Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said Thursday.
"Georgia expressed its readiness to prolong its participation after a certain
adaptation of the treaty," Interfax quoted Ivanov as saying after a meeting of
foreign ministers of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
The treaty, which was signed in Tashkent on May 15, 1992, by Russia,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, is due to expire in April this year.
Belarus, Azerbaijan and Georgia joined the pact later.
The treaty, which came into effect in 1994 when it was ratified by all the
signatory countries, stipulates that the member states may withdraw from it upon
the expiration of a five-year term.
In a blow to CIS integration, Uzbekistan said Wednesday that it would terminate
its membership in the CIS Collective Security Treaty.
Tashkent does not consider expedient further membership in the regional
security alliance, Interfax quoted a high-ranking source in the Uzbek Foreign
Ministry as saying.
"The Collective Security Treaty, in its current form, does not meet present-day
requirements, and does not perform its functions," the source said.
The withdrawal also represents a setback for Russia's efforts to strengthen its
role in the region.
"Tashkent opposes Russia's military activity in individual CIS countries," Interfax
quoted the source as saying.
In response, the Russian Defense Ministry expressed regret for the move but
rejected the assertion that Moscow has stepped up military activity in CIS
countries.
"Russia is pursuing a restrained policy and is curbing military activity, particularly
in CIS countries and in neighboring regions," said Leonid Ivashov, head of the
ministry's Department for International Cooperation.
He noted at the same time that "individual members of the CIS are increasing the
number of military exercises with the participation of NATO units, particularly
near the Russian borders," Interfax reported.
During Thursday's session, the Uzbek foreign minister was silent on the issue.
Asked whether the Uzbek foreign minister confirmed his country's intention to
withdraw from the treaty, Ivanov said: "The Uzbek side said nothing."
He said participants approved a draft protocol on the prolongation of the treaty
which will be discussed by interested CIS leaders during the next summit
scheduled for February 26.
Ivanov said the summit will deal with "reforming the CIS and activating the
cooperation of Commonwealth countries, primarily in the economic sphere."
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Uzbekistan opens office at NATO headquarters
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Uzbekistan on Thursday opened its
representative office at the headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO) in Brussels.
The new office, established under relevant agreements, will work for
strengthening Uzbekistan-NATO cooperation, said Foreign Ministry.
It meanwhile stressed that the cooperation would be restricted within the
framework of the Partnership for Peace. Uzbek Ambassador to Belgium
Shavkat Hamraqulov will head Uzbek mission to NATO. He is also chief of Uzbek mission
in the European Union.
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Uzbekistan seeks to maintain strong ties with Russia
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Uzbekistan denied on Thursday that its
decision to quit the security treaty with the Commonwealth of Independent
States (CIS) would harm its relations with Russia.
A Foreign Ministry spokesman said in Tashkent that Uzbekistan's decision was
unrelated to its diplomatic ties with Russia or other CIS countries. Uzbekistan
would further promote those ties under the principles of mutually beneficial
cooperation, mutual respect and non-interference in the internal affairs of other
nations.
Uzbekistan announced on Wednesday that it would pull out the Russia-led
regional security pact just before the upcoming CIS summit. Russia expressed its
"regret" over the move.
The collective security treaty was signed in May 1992 in Tashkent by all 12 CIS
states except Moldavia, Turkmenistan and Ukraine, and will expire this May.
Seven of nine original nations, namely Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Georgia,
Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, will remain in the treaty, said Russian
Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov.
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30 tonnes of narcotics confiscated in 5 years
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Over 30 tonnes of narcotic drugs were
confiscated in Uzbekistan and destroyed over the past five years, head of the
Uzbek National Security Service's public relations department Natalia Kochubei
told Itar-Tass on Tuesday.
"More than 7 tonnes of the narcotics were burnt down in furnaces last year
alone," she said. A total of 1.5 tonnes of heroin, hashish, marijuana, poppy straw
and other drugs were burnt down in furnaces of a Tashkent plant in the presence
of a state commission on drugs control on Tuesday, the spokeswoman noted.
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Uzbekistan to quit CIS defence pact
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Uzbekistan will not extend its membership in
the collective security treaty of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS),
the foreign minister's press secretary said on Tuesday.
"Uzbekistan is not prepared in the future to take part in the treaty on collective
security of the CIS. Uzbekistan has informed the corresponding CIS structures
of this well in advance," Bakhodyr Umarov told Reuters by telephone.
Umarov said Uzbekistan had decided not to renew the treaty when it lapses in
April because the central Asian country disagrees with Russian policy on
deepening the integration of the 12 ex-Soviet republics that make up the CIS.
He also said Tashkent opposed Russia's military activity in some parts of the
commonwealth, a loose grouping which replaced the Soviet Union in late 1991.
He said that, as part of its decision to withdraw from the treaty, Uzbekistan had
withdrawn a battalion of its forces last November from neighbouring Tajikistan,
where they had been participating in a CIS peacekeeping force since 1992.
"The achievement of an agreement (in 1997) between the government of
Tajikistan and the united Tajik opposition has removed the question of the need
for an Uzbek battalion there," he said.
He said the decision to withdraw the battalion had been announced before
Tajikistan accused Uzbekistan of sheltering Tajik rebels, which caused relations
between the neighbours to deteriorate late last year.
Uzbek President Islam Karimov has often said he opposes what he has
described as efforts to forcibly turn the CIS into a super-state, threatening the
sovereignity of its members.
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President releases his minister for social security
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President Islam Karimov dismissed minister for social security Bohodir Umurzaqov for his allegedly
wrong statement on Uzbek TV 1. Minister of Labor Oqiljon Obidov was put in charge of the
Ministry for Social Security.
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IRCRCF to open an office in Tashkent
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An office of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent will open in Tashkent
soon. An agreement legalizing the federation's presence in Uzbekistan was signed in Tashkent
this week between the federation and the government of Uzbekistan represented by Deputy
Prime Minister Hamidulla Karamatov. The International Federation has been in close contact
with the Uzbekistan Society of Red Crescent and has funded five emergency situations training
centers in the country and organized a series of seminars.
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President supports Kurash
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On Monday President Karimov issued a decree aimed at supporting the International
Association of Kurash that is Uzbek National Wrestling. The Association was established last
September at its Congress in Tashkent. The decree will solve the association's problems with
finding an office space and funding. The decree also frees the association of all types of taxes
for five years. The presidential decree came out on time on the eve of the first Kurash World
Championship that will be held in Tashkent between April 29 and May the 3rd.
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