Iranian President Mohammad Khatami conducted an official visit to Uzbekistan on April 26, the Uzbek Foreign Ministry\'s press service reports. Khatami and Uzbek President Islam Karimov are scheduled to address bilateral cooperation as well as regional security and stability. An inter-governmental transport agreement will be signed during the visit. Iran has also supplied humanitarian aid to the [Uzbek] Aral Sea region, consisting of water pumps and medicines. The visit of the Iranian President was a reaction to the previous activities of different delegations to Uzbekistan. Iran has started to realize that the position of Central Asia is strengthening, and as a result, Iran is also trying to increase its profile in Central Asia.

On March 16, Turkish delegation visited Uzbekistan after three days of visit to Kyrgyzstan. The result of a meeting between the head of the Turkish delegation, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Turkish armed forces General Huseyin Kivrikoglu and President Islam Karimov was that Turkey will provide military support in the amount of $1.5 million to Uzbekistan. On March 19, NATO Assistant Secretary-General Daniel Speckhard told journalists in Tashkent that NATO is ready to help Uzbekistan restructure its armed forces.

It seems that Uzbekistan has got international support in getting financial aid, though it is known for its strong authoritarian regime. In January, a Chinese delegation visited Uzbekistan, pledging financial aid in amount of $600 thousand. Only days later, Elizabeth Jones, U.S. assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, announced that the United States would extend financial assistance in the amount of US$ 160 million.

After September 11 , President Karimov realized what kind of advantages Uzbekistan could get from the war against international terrorism. Uzbekistan\'s firm support for the U.S. military forces and its provision of an air base in Khanabad helped rejuvenate Uzbek-American relations. Comparing financial assistance for 2001 and 2002 shows this clearly. In 2001 Kazakhstan was on top regarding direct U.S. assistance, receiving $71,5 million. Tajikistan received $56,4 million, Kyrgyzstan $40,6 million, Turkmenistan $12,2 million. Uzbekistan got only $55,9 million. This year the proportion changed sharply, with Uzbekistan topping the list with $161,8 million, whereas Kazakhstan received $81,6 million, Tajikistan $85,3 million, Kyrgyzstan $49 million, and finally is Turkmenistan, $16,4 million.

The war in Afghanistan has changed the geopolitical order in Central Asian Region. Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan allied with the United States, thereby reconsidering their foreign policy. China reviewed its policy in the region and immediately sent delegations to Central Asia in January. Tashkent was the main goal of the first trip, given the deployment of U.S. military forces. The second Central Asian trip of Chinese delegation led by General Xiong Guangkai, the Chinese People\'s Liberation Army\'s chief of staff for intelligence started with a visit to Kyrgyzstan on 15 March, where he signed a protocol on military cooperation, and pledged $1.2 million in aid to Kyrgyzstan\'s military forces. On March 16, a Chinese delegation arrived in Kazakhstan, and Defense Minister Mukhtar Altynbaev announced that China pledged $3 million to the Kazakh armed forces. It is obvious that such Chinese gifts are aimed to strengthen its position in the Central Asian Region.

Likewise, Turkey has started actively engaging in Central Asian affairs. In the recent past, Uzbek- Turkish relations were relatively cold, due mainly to Turkish tolerance of Uzbek opposition leader Mukhammad Solikh. But today, Turkey also has realized that it could capitalize on the war in Afghanistan. The Chinese and Turkish visits to Central Asia are clearly a follow-up to American expansion in the region. Today Islam Karimov is the best Central Asian friend of Washington. Uzbekistan and the United States have signed a Declaration of Strategic Partnership and Collaboration, which has several points concerning political, economic, humanitarian, and security spheres. Today Uzbekistan is lucky to get necessary financial aid to help its declining economy, and to combat the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. Indeed the war in Afghanistan broken down the old order in this region and it also brought huge financial assistance to Central Asian States. Uzbekistan is only the prime example of this way of collaboration. Who will be the next in this list of generous donors?

Rustam Mukhamedov

Copyright 2001 The Analyst. All rights reserved