From: Justin Burke (JBurke@sorosny.org)
Date: Thu Nov 30 2000 - 10:17:39 EST
UZBEKISTAN SEEKS MODUS VIVENDI WITH AFGHANISTAN
Uzbekistan's National Security Council secretary Mir-Akbar Rakhmonkulov
told journalists in Tashkent on 29 November that Uzbekistan
will not allow the U.S. use of its airbases to deliver
strikes against international terrorist Osama ben Laden,
Interfax reported. Kazakhstan's Foreign Minister Erlan
Idrisov had issued a similar statement last week. Also on 29 November, Uzbek
Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Komilov said in Tashkent that
Uzbekistan may open its borders with Afghanistan in the near
future provided that doing so does not pose a threat to the
country's national security, Interfax reported. At the same
time, Komilov stressed that Tashkent will continue to demand
that the Taliban extradite members of the banned Islamic
Movement of Uzbekistan who maintain permanent bases in
Afghanistan. LF
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