Robert Simmons, special representative of the secretary general of NATO for the Northern Caucasus and Central Asia
Photo: Svetlana Privalova
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Uzbekistan Renews NATO Ties
Uzbekistan authorities have decided to lift the three-year-old ban on the United States' use of the military base in that country. The airbase in Termez is under consideration. It is now being used by Germany. This was reported yesterday by Robert Simmons, special representative of the secretary general of NATO for the Northern Caucasus and Central Asia, who stated that Uzbekistan has made the use of the base available to other countries besides Germany and that the U.S. has begun using it. He added that “after a number of events,” particularly a discussion of human rights with several members of the European Union, that situation has improved in Uzbekistan and the country has shown its readiness to collaborate.
The U.S. and Uzbekistan has cooperated closely in the war against terrorism, and after the events of September 11, 2001, American planes began landing at the base at Karshi-Khanabad and using those facilities for the NATO military operation in Afghanistan. Relations between Washington and Tashkent suffered a major setback when Uzbekistan used its military to put down a rebellion in Andijan in May 2005. The West, led by the U.S., criticized the regime of Islam Karimov for the mass murder of civilians and initiated an international investigation of the incident. In response, Uzbek authorities, with Moscow's approval, gave the U.S. six months to vacate the airbase at Karshi-Khanabad and the American military was forced to relocate to Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan.
The new warming in relations began at the end of last month, after Karimov visited South Korea for the inauguration of newly elected President Lee Myung-bak, where U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was also in attendance.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Mar. 06, 2008
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