UZBEK PRESIDENT: PAY ATTENTION TO CENTRAL ASIA

. Addressing the UN General Assembly yesterday, Uzbek president Islam Karimov appealed for closer international attention to Central Asia, whose location and enormous mineral resources "are turning the region into an arena of competition between the geopolitical and economic interests of various countries." Karimov called attention to his and other Central Asian countries’ "promising projects" to create links with the outside world but also to the spillover effects of military conflicts in the region, urging the UN to become more effective in conflict resolution and especially in conflict prevention. He also appealed to the international community for increased moral and political support for the independence of the CIS member states. (19)

The address in large part reflects Uzbekistan’s special security concerns as a neighbor of war-torn Afghanistan and Tajikistan, both of which are also home to Uzbek populations. Karimov is Central Asia’s leading promoter of regional security arrangements under UN, rather than CIS or Russian, aegis.

1. Itar-Tass and Interfax, October 23, Reuters, October 24

2. Reuter, October 23

3. Interfax, October 21 and Reuter, October 23

4. Interfax, October 23

5. Interfax, October 23

6. Interfax, October 23

7. Interfax, October 23

8. NTV, 20 October

9. Interfax, October 23

10. Interfax , October 22

11. BNS, October 21

12. BNS, October 20

13. BNS, October 21 and 23

14. Russian TV as cited by Interfax, October 21

15. Interfax, October 20

16. Interfax, October 23

17. Interfax, October 21

18. Interfax, October 23

The Monitor is a publication of the Jamestown Foundation. It is researched and written under the direction of senior analysts Jonas Bernstein, Vladimir Socor, Stephen Foye, and analysts Ilya Malyakin, Oleg Varfolomeyev and Ilias Bogatyrev. If you have any questions regarding the content of the Monitor, please contact the foundation. If you would like information on subscribing to the Monitor, or have any comments, suggestions or questions, please contact us by e-mail at pubs@jamestown.org, by fax at 301-562-8021, or by postal mail at The Jamestown Foundation, 4516 43rd Street NW, Washington DC 20016. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution of the Monitor is strictly prohibited by law. Copyright (c) 1983-2002 The Jamestown Foundation Site Maintenance by Johnny Flash Productions