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Saturday, Jul 02, 2005

International

International

Russian support for Uzbekistan

Vladimir Radyuhin

"Planners of the Andizhan riots have links to extremists in Afghanistan"

MOSCOW: Russia has expressed strong support for Uzbekistan over foreign-inspired uprising in Andizhan last month and pledged more economic and military aid to the Central Asian country.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Moscow had information about infiltration of militants trained in Afghanistan into Uzbekistan ahead of the Andizhan violence.

"We confirm getting intelligence on militants infiltrating (Uzbekistan and other Central Asian states) from Afghanistan," Mr. Putin said while receiving Uzbek President Islam Karimov at his residence near Moscow recently. On May 13 militants in Andizhan launched a series of terrorist attacks against police and military stations and took a number of hostages. The following day the army dispersed the rebels. Uzbek authorities said 176 persons had been killed and 295 wounded in the clashes, while human rights groups claimed more than 500 had died.

The Russian leader said he was happy the situation in Uzbekistan was returning to normal.

"We hope the situation will further improve," Mr. Putin told Mr. Karimov.

For his part Mr. Karimov blamed the United States, without calling it by name though, for orchestrating the Andizhan riots.

"The planners and organisers (of the Andizhan events) used the same religious radicals and extremists whom... they had battled so `successfully' in Afghanistan and are now fighting in Iraq," the Uzbek leader said.

Mr. Karimov paid a two-day visit to Moscow to discuss the Andhizhan crisis and seek political support as well as military and economic aid from Russia, as the West threatens sanctions against Uzbekistan over its refusal to allow an international probe into the Andizhan violence.

Mr. Putin said there were "promising, large-scale projects (in energy and other sectors) between Russia and Uzbekistan that will benefit both countries."

Mr. Karimov also met Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov, who said preparations for the first post-Soviet military manoeuvres between Russia and Uzbekistan were being finalised. The Uzbek President said the war games will have "special character" in the light of the Andizhan revolt.

Analysts said the two sides discussed possible deployment of Russian forces in Uzbekistan.

In the wake of the 9/11 events Mr. Karimov allowed the U.S. to deploy an airbase in Uzbekistan, but after Andizhan he imposed severe restrictions on U.S. transport planes' flights forcing the Pentagon to re-deploy the aircraft to Afghanistan.

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