TASHKENT PUSHES CENTRAL ASIAN INTEGRATION.

Fleshing outthe Uzbek president Islam Karimov’s idea of a common market forCentral Asia, experts at the Uzbek Academy of Sciences havedrawn up a concept of economic integration of the region. Academyvice president Ibrahim Iskanderov told Interfax July 3 that theplan calls for coordinating reforms among the five countriesof the region so that they can quickly form a common economicspace.

Turkmenistan Signs Gas Deal With Iran.