Press Review September 29-October 13

CUSTOMS UNION TRANSFORMED INTO EURASIAN ECONOMIC ASSOCIATION
Newspapers inform that on October 6, heads of governments of the member countries of the Customs Union (Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kirgyzstan and Tajikistan) approved a document on establishment of a new international organization - Eurasian Economic Association (EEA). The new economic association is established on the basis of the Customs Union and based on powers having been made over voluntarily to it by the founder countries. To manage the Eurasian Economic Association the following institutions will be formed: Inter-state Council and the Inter-parliamentary Assembly, in which Russia will have 40 % of votes, Belorus and Kazakhstan - 20 % each and Kirgyzstan and Tajikistan will get 10 % of votes each; it will correspond to financial endowments of each of the sides. At the same time the final decisions will be taken collectively, by five presidents. The new economic association should be more effective than the Customs Union and it should be more approximate to structures already known in the world. The activity of the Association will be aimed at completion and a full-volume formation of a free trade regime, formation of a single customs tariff and a single system of non-tariff regulation and working out of coordinated position of the member countries in relationships with the World Trade Organization and other international economic organizations. Besides, the activity of the Association will be aimed at creation of mechanism of an effective ensuring the economic security on the foreign boundaries of the Association as well as at the struggle against smuggling and other customs violations and strengthening of the foreign boundaries of the Association. The Association is planning a number of events in the sphere of economic policy: conducting of coordinated structural re-organization of the countries' economies; creation of a single payment system; provision of interaction between finance and currency systems; creation of equal conditions for production and entrepreneurship activities; formation of a single transport system; formation of a common power market and others. In the social and humanitarian spheres the Association intends to harmonize the national systems of education, development of science and culture, to harmonize the national systems of providing minimal social standards and to afford equal opportunities to citizens of the Association to get education and medical aid in the whole territory of the Association. In the legal sphere the activity of the Association will be aimed at harmonization and unification of the national legislation of the countries, provision of interaction between legal systems of the member countries for the purpose of creating a single legal zone within the framework of the Association. The steering structures of the EEA will be located in Moscow and Astana. The working language of the Association will be Russian.

THERE WILL BE NO "ELDER BROTHERS" WITHIN THE EEA?
The Russian President Vladimir Putting speaking at a final press conference has stressed that within the framework of the Association there will function special mechanism, which will not allow Russia to dictate its demands to other countries. The moot points will be discussed at a session of leaders of the member countries of the EEA and will be taken collectively. According to the Russian President the EEA is not just a formal transformation of the Customs Union, it is a principally new organization, which "is called upon not only to take decisions, but also to bring them to their logical end". The President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev says that the five countries having joined a new association also intend to sign a general agreement on a visa regime. The first session of leaders of the Member Countries of the EEA is supposed to be held on September 1 20001 in Minsk, Belarus. Until that time the initiator of establishment of the Association, the Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev will head the organization.

MEMBER COUNTRIES OF THE TREATY ON COLLECTIVE SECURITY ARE FORMING COLLECTIVE FORCES OF SECURITY
Newspapers informed that on October 11, a meeting of the Collective Security Council of the Treaty on Collective Security (TSC) was held in Bishkek. Kirgyzstan. Russia, Belorus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Armenia and Kirgyzstan are members of the Treaty on Collective Security. The Collective Security Council is the supreme organ of the Treaty, and it provides coordination and joint activity of the member countries of the Treaty on Collective Security. At their private meeting the leaders of the member countries of the Treaty discussed the issue of a work on intensification of the military and political integration within the framework of the Treaty and immediate tasks on formation of the regional systems of the collective security and other items of the agenda of the meeting. They approved the plan of the main measures on formation of the system of the collective security for the period of 2001-2005 and the Agreement on a status of formations, forces and means of the regional security system. This document will define the legal status of the military formations of the member countries of the Treaty comprising the groups, which are formed for averting and repulsing the foreign military aggression, conducting anti-terrorist operations, command and staff and military exercises. The Agreement also provides for the possibility of bringing of formations of one member countries of the Treaty into the territory of others. This issue must be regulated by the national legislation of the member countries of the Treaty. This agreement will come into force after ratification by national parliaments. The next session of the Collective Security Council will be held at the beginning of 2001 in Erevan, Armenia.

IVO PETROV MET SAID ABDULLO NURI
The "Mizon" newspaper informs that on October 4, the leader of the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan (IRPT) Said Abdullo Nuri met the Head of the UN Tajikistan Office on Peace-building (UNTOP) Mr. Ivo Petrov. During the meeting the parties discussed the topical issues of the current Tajikistan including the problem of provision of the former Opposition's militants with job as well as the problem of drought and other issues. Mr. Ivo Petrov said that in the near future the United Nations intended to start construction and restoration of a number of objects in the Ramit Gorge, Kofarnihon district. The Japanese Government has allocated $ 700,000 for these purposes. It is supposed that, first of all, the former militants will be recruited for work at those objects.

CONGRESS OF THE USA WANTS CENTRAL ASIA'S COUNTRIES TO BE EXCLUDED FORM OSCE
Asia-Plus # 37 informs that Congress of the United States has worked out a resolution, in which the congressmen have expressed their concern over the political situation in all the countries of Central Asia, especially in the sphere of observance of human rights. Authors of the resolution have called upon the US Administration to discuss with governments of other Member States of the OSCE the possibility of participation of each country of the region in that Organization. If this resolution of the Congress Sub-Committee for Asia and Pacific Ocean is passed by Congress and Senate, it will already become legitimate. Asia-Plus notes that the resolution reveals definitely contradiction between objective process of coming into being of new states of the region and rather insistent with of the West to give priority to development of civil societies in our countries. The newspaper considers that the present-day civil society may be created and functions efficiently only in firm states. As far as the Central Asian countries are concerned, today they must focus their attention on the coming into being of new national states, formation of their bases, state institutions, definition of their boundaries and so on. Supposition that under these conditions it is possible to be engaged in the creation of the civil society in accordance with requirements looks, at best, optimistic. Nevertheless, the newspaper considers that that resolution is a very serious warning to the Central Asian countries, in particular to Tajikistan. According to the newspaper taking into account that economic development and political stability of the countries of the region depend on the support of international financial, political and information institutions, which are influenced by the United States, it is necessary to react to such signals positively. The point is to find a reasonable compromise between the process of the rather strong centralization of political power and the demand of the West to give priority to the development of civil society that is an obvious political, social and economic anticipation. Asia-Plus notes that search of such a compromise will allow avoiding unnecessary for Tajikistan complications.

BOMB BURST INSIDE THE MISSIONARY CENTER TERRORIST IN DUSHANBE
Newspapers inform that two powerful explosions blasted in Dushanbe on Sunday, October 1. According to information received from the Interior Ministry Administration for Dushanbe, two explosive devices operated at 12:20 and 12:30 p.m., inside the office of Missionary Center "Sonmin" at the Nemat Qaraboyev Street (southern part of Dushanbe). As a result of explosions 7 persons were killed and 50 others were injured. Asia-Plus writes that to all appearances, organizers of the terrorist act have striven for getting a maximum hitting of people. According to the source the first explosive device was put on the third floor, in the prayer-hall, where at that time there were about 200 persons. The other explosive device that operated in 10 minutes after the first one was put in the well of the first floor. In the course of the rescue operation three militiamen were injured. The special group consisting of skilled specialist of the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Security, Procurator's Office and the Military Procurator's Office of Tajikistan is conducting the investigation of the terrorist act. "Biznes i Politika" writes that today the church is closed and parishioners are waiting for arrival of Pastor Cho Yun Sol, who lives in Los Angeles. The newspaper writes that the Missionary Center was opened in Dushanbe in 1997.

SERVICE CAR OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF TAJIKISTAN BLOWN UP
Newspapers informed that Tuesday morning, October 3, the service car of the Chairman of the TAJIKCOMMUNSERVICE and the Chairman of the Democratic Party of Tajikistan Mahmadruzi Iskandarov - "GAZ-31" (VOLGA), blew up at the parking in the territory of the Zarafshon microrayon (lowest administrative division of city) of Dushanbe (western part of the city). One source at the Interior Ministry Administration for Dushanbe informed Asia-Plus of that. Nobody suffered from the explosion. As Asia-Plus was informed at the TAJIKCOMMUNSERVICE on October 4, since October 1 Mahmadruzi Iskandarov has been on his vacation outside Tajikistan. The Deputy Minister of Interiors A. Qahhorov didn't exclude in his interview with "Vecherny Dushanbe" # 40 that it might be terrorist act.

PUBLISHING HOUSES DENY PRINTING THE OFFICIAL PAPER OF IRPT
The publishing houses deny to print the official paper of the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan (IRPT) "Najot". "Najot" # 40 writes that the Director of the Newspaper and Magazine Complex M. Dodokhonov motivates the refusal to print the paper by the fact that it is the opposition paper and it will criticize the government that will complicate his relations with the power. HE has asked representatives of the newspaper ""Najot" to bring the letter of permission from the President's Administration. Representatives of "Najot" have been receiving analogous responses in other publishing houses as well. The newspaper writes that the executive power has scarcely forbidden the publishing houses to print it. According to the paper these refusals are motivated by the wish of leaderships of the publishing houses to insure themselves. "Najot" asks President Rahmonov to help them.