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Russia, Uzbekistan sign defence pact

Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW: Russia and Uzbekistan signed a military treaty that effectively makes Uzbekistan Russia's main ally in Central Asia and redraws the geo-strategic map in the region in favour of Moscow.

The "Treaty on Allied Relations" signed by Presidents Vladimir Putin and Islam Karimov in the Kremlin on Monday calls on the two countries to provide military aid to each other in the event of "aggression." The pact also gives Russia and Uzbekistan "the right to use military installations" on each other's territory "on the basis of separate agreements."

The treaty also commits Russia to help safeguard internal political stability in Uzbekistan, which suppressed an armed revolt earlier this year. The sides undertake to "coordinate practical measures" to deal with situations that may "threaten peace, disrupt peace or affect the security" of either state.

No time limits

The treaty has no time limits, but gives each party the right to annul it 12 months after notifying the other side.

Mr. Putin said the alliance pact with Uzbekistan "brings our relations to a qualitatively new level and makes them as close as they can be."

For his part, Mr. Karimov vowed to act as a champion for Russian interests in Central Asia. He said the treaty will "strengthen stability and security in Central Asia," a region which "some people describe as Russia's soft underbelly and where nobody can ever question its presence."

Russia has a "collective security" pact with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, but this is the first time it takes on responsibility to militarily defend another state in Central Asia on the basis of a bilateral treaty.

The defence treaty between Russia and Uzbekistan comes less than four months after Tashkent served an eviction notice to a key U.S. air base on its territory in the wake of Islamist riots in Andijan in May.

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