| February 6-February 13, 1999 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Karimov claims Uzbekistan not drifting away from Russia
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It is a pure invention that Uzbekistan "is
drifting away from Russia," Uzbek president Islam Karimov told a delegation of
the Russian Federation Council /upper house of the parliament/ headed by
speaker Yegor Stroyev, now in Tashkent on a working visit. Karimov further
pointed out that Russia and Uzbekistan "have many problems to be solved
proceeding from common interests."
According to Karimov, measures should be taken to settle problems interfering
with the cooperation. He suggested that customs tariffs be lifted, and some other
bans be removed to promote free trade between the two countries.
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Uzbek leader to take part in CIS summit February 26
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Uzbek President Islam Karimov on
Thursday told Tass he would take part in a summit of the CIS
member-countries' leaders, scheduled to be held on February 26.
"I am a disciplined man, and when invited I always take part in meetings of the
kind," Karimov said. "At the same time, it does not mean that I will not uphold
the interests of the state I am the head of, " he emphasized.
According to Karimov, "the Commonwealth of our countries is a reality of the
current transition period, and we all should admit it exists independent of
anybody's political will."
"I am ready to take part in the forthcoming summit without any preconditions,
and to defend the right of the Commonwealth to existence, " Karimov
emphasized.
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CIS Collective Security Treaty can be extended, says Stroyev
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The terms of the CIS collective security
treaty "can be prolonged taking into consideration an entire set of problems, the
situation in Central Asia and Russia's state policy in that region," according to
Yegor Stroyev, Speaker of Russian parliament's upper house. Stroyev, who was
responding to questions from journalists en route from Tashkent to Moscow,
pointed to the need "to sit down at the negotiating table and think what needs to
be done in our common interests."
He noted that the position of Uzbekistan president Islam Karimov and members
of the delegation from the Federation Council of Russia who visited Tashkent
coincided as concerns "a number of economic measures that must be taken in
order to strengthen the Commonwealth of Independent States, including the
creation of a normal customs union, a normal economic union, and then probably
a financial union."
"By moving step-by-step and agreeing with regions on direct goods turnover and
the building of an economic space bound together by the common efforts and
interests, we shall win all together," Stroyev said.
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Central Asia: Summit to highlight Tajik-Uzbek relations
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The upcoming Central Asian summit in
Kyrgyzstan is
expected to highlight the poor state of relations between Tajikistan and
Uzbekistan.
Ties between the two have been strained since the 1997 announcement of the
Tajik peace accords.
Relations worsened last November after some Tajik officials accused
Uzbekistan of aiding an
insurrection in northern Tajikistan.
The summit, set for Friday in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, was intended to
confirm Tajikistan's
application to join the Central Asian Union. Now, some are wondering whether
Uzbekistan will
support Tajikistan's bid to join, as Moscow -- rather than Tashkent --
appears to be winning the
battle for influence in the region.
In a sign of the times, Uzbekistan last week said it was dropping out of the
collective security treaty
of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Uzbek officials say that Russia
used the treaty as a
way of dominating CIS members.
Tajik President Imomali Rakhmonov, a few days later, countered by affirming
support for Russian
policies in Central Asia. He said Russia was Tajikistan's "only true
partner."
Both Moscow and Tashkent originally supported Rakhmonov and his government
during the
five-year Tajik civil war. Uzbekistan's support was driven by fear the civil
war could provoke an
outbreak of Islamic fanaticism within its own borders. Uzbek President Islam
Karimov later initiated
the CIS collective security treaty, which provided the legal basis for
Russian and Uzbek
participation in Tajikistan's civil war.
When the Tajik peace accord was signed, though, Uzbek officials couldn't
hide their
disappointment. The accord allowed members of the Islamic opposition to take
seats in the
government. This provoked renewed Uzbek concern about radical Islamic
movements in the Uzbek
part of the Fergana valley. Uzbekistan later launched a campaign against an
Islamic group, the
"Wahhabis," in late 1997.
Relations worsened at the end of last year when a former colonel in the
Tajik army attempted a
rebellion in the northern Tajik city of Khujand. The rebellion was put down
by the Tajik government
in conjunction with fighters of the opposition and, some say, Russia's 201st
division. The Russian
division has been in Tajikistan since before the fall of the Soviet Union in
1991.
When the colonel and other leaders of the rebels disappeared after the
battle, Tajik officials openly
speculated the men had fled to neighboring Uzbekistan. Tajik officials also
suggested the rebels had
trained on Uzbek soil with the knowledge of authorities there.
Uzbekistan responded by withdrawing its battalion from the CIS peacekeeping
force in Tajikistan.
Uzbek officials sought to minimize damage from the move by suggesting it was
planned long before
the failed rebellion.
President Karimov also used the opportunity to accuse Russia of bearing
responsibility for the
worsening relations. Karimov said Russia had created a special department
charged with sabotaging
good relations between the CIS Central Asian states, specifically Uzbekistan
and Tajikistan. (Radio Liberty)
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Uzbeks, Iranians sign agreement on wide-ranging cooperation
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An agreement has been signed between Uzbek and Iranian
officials at the end of the second session of the joint
commission of Uzbekistan and Iran on technical, scientific,
trade and economic cooperaton. The minister of commerce of
Iran, [Mohammad] Shari'atmadari, and the minister of transport
of Uzbekistan, Rustam Yunusov, who is also a deputy prime
minister, after signing the agreements expressed their
satisfaction with development in the two countries' relations
and examined ways of developing relations in transport,
economy, customs and communication sectors.
The agreement, which is based on bilateral cooperation,
stipulates transport [as heard] and holding international trade
fairs in the two countries, delivery of Uzbek transit goods to
the Persian Gulf and Iran's free trade zones and use of Iranian
storehouses for keeping Uzbekistan's goods destined for import
and export. (Radio Mashhad)
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Belarus appoints new Ambassador to Uzbekistan
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(ITAR-TASS) Byelarussian President Alexander
Lukashenko, not satisfied with the present state of relations with Uzbekistan, has
decided to appoint a new ambassador to Uzbekistan who well knows this
Central Asian country.
On Tuesday, Lukashenko announced that Valentine Agolts, who until recently
had been head of the Byelarussian Interior Ministry, would be given the post of
the Byelarussian ambassador to Uzbekistan. Several yeas ago Valentine Agolts
worked in Uzbekistan and occupied senior posts.
Lukashenko said that "Agolts had made a very good impression in Uzbekistan
and that the people, including he Uzbek president and other top state officials"
know him very well."
The Byelarussian president has expressed the hope that Valentine Agolts will
cope well with his uneasy diplomatic tasks.
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Russian delegation to arrive in Uzbekistan on Wednesday
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A Russian delegation, led by
Federation Council Speaker Yegor Stroyev, is expected to arrive in Uzbekistan
on Wednesday for a two-day visit.
An Uzbek parliament source told Itar-Tass on Tuesday that the Russian
delegation would hold talks with Parliament Speaker Erkin Khalilov and meet
with Prime Minister Utkur Sultanov.
The programme for the visit also envisages Stroyev's meetings with Uzbekistan
President Islam Karimov. Along with the development of parliamentary contacts,
they are expected to discuss a broad spectrum of cooperation matters and a
reform of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
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Uzbek President wants democratic parliamentary elections
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In an interview published in the daily
"Turkiston" on 2 February, Islam Karimov said the key
task for his country this year will be conducting honest
and democratic parliamentary elections in December,
Interfax reported. Noting that his country has already
held free elections, he argued that its experience in
this area is "insufficient" as other countries "have
many centuries of experience of elections." He
encouraged Uzbek political parties to "make an all-round
analysis of reality and the social situation" and
express views that are objective and well thought-out.
Karimov welcomed international monitoring of the
elections, saying he hopes it will contribute to the
spirit of objectivity, democracy, and openness.
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Islamic group poses theat to Uzbekistan
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In an interview
published in "Xalq Sozi" on 3 February, President Islam
Karimov said members of an Islamic group called Hezbi
Tahriri Islomiya are active in his country and represent
a threat to security. Karimov said the group intends to
eliminate all administrative boundaries between Islamic
countries and form an "Islamic Caliphate." He noted that
the group has substantial financial backing and is
already "poisoning the minds" of young and inexperienced
people. The Uzbek president called on the government to
respect "real Islam" and not allow such forces to act on
Uzbek territory.
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Uzbekistan opens office at NATO headquarters
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Uzbekistan has opened its official
mission at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, a source in the Uzbek Foreign
Ministry told Interfax Thursday.
The government approved the mission "to boost Uzbek-NATO ties."
The cooperation will develop exclusively under the auspices of the
NATO Partnership for Peace Program. Shavkat Khamrakulov, who also serves
as the Uzbek ambassador to Belgium and heads the representative office
for the European Union, will head the mission.
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