From: Justin Burke (JBurke@sorosny.org)
Date: Wed Aug 09 2000 - 11:35:59 EDT
DUSHANBE TAKING MEASURES TO NORMALIZE SITUATION AT TAJIK-UZBEK BORDER
DUSHANBE. Aug 9 (Interfax) - Dushanbe will do all it can to curb
attempts to destabilize the situation both on its own territory and on
the territory of neighboring countries, Igor Sattarov, chief of the
information department with the Tajik Foreign Ministry, said at a
Wednesday news briefing in Dushanbe.
"Tajikistan is actively implementing a number of measures under
existing multi-lateral treaties and programs at the level of the CIS and
the countries of Central Asia aimed at joint actions to combat
terrorism, extremism, organized crime and other threats to the parties'
stability and security," Sattarov said.
The reason for this statement was the events of August 4-8, when an
illegal armed group attempted to consolidate positions near the
populated Kshtut and Zevar areas in the Surkhan-Darya region of
Uzbekistan, 20 km from the Tajik-Uzbek border. The operation for
encircling and neutralizing this group carried out by the Uzbek
governmental forces resulted in causalities on both sides, the number of
which has been withheld.
Sattarov noted that "Tajikistan, which has survived a civil war, is by
no means interested in the destabilization of the situation anywhere,
including, naturally, Central Asia, let alone neighboring, brotherly
Uzbekistan." The diplomat explained that since the first days of tension
in the Uzbek border region the corresponding Tajik structures have been
taking all necessary measures aimed at constant coordination of actions
and timely information exchange needed to take prompt measures to
maintain law and order.
|
