From: Justin Burke (JBurke@sorosny.org)
Date: Wed Aug 30 2000 - 11:17:12 EDT
UZBEKISTAN DENIES REQUESTING RUSSIAN MILITARY HELP
ITAR-TASS and Interfax on 29 August quoted unnamed "military-diplomatic
sources" in Moscow as saying that Uzbekistan has addressed an
official request to the Russian leadership for military
assistance to combat the IMU threat. Colonel General Leonid
Ivashov, who heads the International Military Cooperation
Department within the Russian Defense Ministry, told Interfax
the same day that Tashkent had asked for a small amount of a
specific type of military hardware. He did not elaborate.
Ivashov added that there is "no question" of sending either
Russian troops or military experts to Uzbekistan. During
Russian-Uzbek talks at deputy foreign minister level in
Moscow on 28 August, a Russian official said Russia is ready
"to provide the necessary assistance to Uzbekistan and other
members of the Commonwealth in their struggle against the
subversive activities of extremists," Interfax reported,
citing a Russian Foreign Ministry statement. LF
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