On January 4 the Rand Corporation released a report on U.S. security assistance to Uzbekistan and Afghanistan from 2001 to 2005. The report concluded that, despite intense efforts, Washington’s assistance had no discernable effect on improving Uzbekistan’s performance in the areas of human rights, democratization,... MORE

Recent events in Uzbekistan seem to point to warming relations with the West and a possible re-adjustment of its relations with Russia. EU sanctions on Uzbekistan will remain in place for another year, despite Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Norov’s recent trip to Brussels. Nevertheless,... MORE

Although Tashkent has moved to re-join the Moscow-led post-Soviet security framework, bilateral issues remain between Russia and Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan moved to revive its membership in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), and this month the lower house of the Uzbek parliament approved a draft law... MORE

At a November 1 meeting in Tashkent with Uzbek President Islam Karimov, German Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeier raised the prospect of gradually lifting the European Union (EU) sanctions against Uzbekistan with the condition that Tashkent must implement “concrete measures” on human rights issues. The... MORE

On October 3 Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev visited Tashkent to meet with Uzbek President Islam Karimov. Both presidents tried to restore friendly relations between their countries by referring to common cultural roots and the necessity to boost economic cooperation. Although a number of bilateral agreements... MORE

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov has hailed defense links between Moscow and Tashkent, saying that recent decisions made by the presidents of Russia and Uzbekistan have helped develop military cooperation "successfully." He also praised a bilateral anti-terrorism drill in Russia's Krasnodar region and stated that... MORE

Uzbekistan’s President Islam Karimov has prioritized procuring Russian armaments, not only to further the reform and modernization of the Uzbek armed forces, but also to strengthen Tashkent’s security response to the threat of terrorism. Karimov is using the new sense of cooperation in bilateral relations... MORE

The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) is showing renewed confidence in Central Asia and has apparently increased its capacity to carry out terrorist acts within the region. A speech marking the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, purportedly given by IMU leader Tahir Yuldashev, was... MORE

Uzbekistan’s turbulent bilateral relations with Kazakhstan, steadily improving in recent years as both countries vied for the potential benefits of cooperating with the West in the War on Terror, have now become a key political target for Uzbek President Islam Karimov. Karimov’s state visit to... MORE