From: Justin Burke (JBurke@sorosny.org)
Date: Thu Aug 10 2000 - 10:28:15 EDT
KAZAKH, UZBEK PRESIDENTS DISCUSS SITUATION AT UZBEK-TAJIK BORDER
ASTANA. Aug 9 (Interfax-Kazakhstan) - Kazakh and Uzbek Presidents
Nursultan Nazarbayev and Islam Karimov discussed the situation at the
Uzbek-Tajik border in a Wednesday telephone conversation, the Kazakh
presidential press service has told Interfax.
Karimov noted that the terrorists who entered Uzbek territory were
spotted and localized "in time" and an operation to wipe them out is
underway, the press service said. "The situation is under complete
control and there are no apprehensions about a possible escalation of
the conflict," Karimov said.
The Uzbek president also pointed out that "certain media reports on
the developments at the Tajik-Uzbek border exaggerate the degree of the
tension and do not correspond with reality," the press service said.
In the course of the telephone conversation, the heads of state
came to the conclusion that there is currently no need to use the
corresponding provisions of the Tashkent Treaty on joint actions in
fighting terrorism or other threats to stability and security signed
this year by the heads of Central Asian states, the press service
reported.
Nazarbayev and Karimov confirmed their determination to jointly
oppose "any threats" to Kazakhstan's and Uzbekistan's independence and
territorial integrity, the press service said.
The heads of state also discussed a wide range of issues relating
to bilateral economic cooperation, the press service noted.
|
