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1 February 2006: NEW HEADS OF KAZAKHSTANI AND UZBEK CUSTOMS APPOINTED
On 1 February 2006, Askar Shakirov was appointed new chairman of the Kazakhstani Customs Control Committee (CCC) under the Ministry of Finance. Shakirov, who previously served as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, replaced Berdibek Saparbayev, who was appointed deputy head of the Prime Minister’s Office. Askar Shakirov was born in 1956. He graduated from M. Lomonosov Moscow State University’s Asia and Africa Institute and completed post graduate studies at the Soviet Interior Ministry’s Academy. Fluent in English and Chinese, Shakirov started his career at the Kazakhstani Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1992, and has a diplomatic rank of Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary. During his career, he served as chargé d’affaires to the Republic of Korea, ambassador at large, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, and ambassador to India.[1,2,3]

In an earlier development, on 11 January 2006, President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov appointed Sodirkhon Nasyrov chairman of the country’s State Customs Committee (SCC). Previously Nasyrov served as SCC deputy chairman. Former SCC chairman Bakhodir Matlyubov was appointed Minister of Internal Affairs.[4]

Sources:
[1] “Premyer-Ministr RK predstavil novogo predsedatelya Komiteta tamozhennogo kontrolya Minfina” (The Kazakhstani Prime Minister presented a new chairman of the Customs Control Committee under the Ministry of Finance), Kazinform news agency, 1 February 2006, <http://www.inform.kz>.
[2] “Glava pravitelstva RK predstavil novogo predsedatelya Komiteta tamozhennogo kontrolya Minfina” (Head of the Kazakhstani government presented a new chairman of the Customs Control Committee under the Ministry of Finance), Kazakhstan today news agency, 1 February 2006, <http://www.gazeta.kz>.
[3] “Eks-glava KTK Minfina Saparbayev naznachen zamestitelem rukovoditelya kantselyarii premyerministra RK” (Ex-chief of the CCC under the Ministry of Finance was appointed deputy head of the Kazakhstani Prime Minister’s office), Kazakhstan today news agency, 1 February 2006, <http://www.gazeta.kz>.

[4] Edict of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, “Ob utverzhdenii Nasyrova S.Kh. predsedatelem Gosudarstvennogo tamozhennogo komiteta Respubliki Uzbekistan” (On the appointment of S.Kh. Nasyrov chairman of the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan), President of Uzbekistan Press Service website, 11 January 2006, <http://www.pressservice.uz/
ru/gsection.scm?groupId=4347&contentId=16657>.
This item originally appeared in International Export Control Observer: <http://www.cns.miis.edu/
pubs/observer/index.htm>.

25 January 2006: UZBEKISTAN JOINS EURASEC 

On 25 January 2006, at a summit meeting of the Interstate Council of the Eurasian Economic Community (EURASEC) held in St. Petersburg, Russia, the presidents of Uzbekistan and EURASEC member states signed a protocol on Uzbekistan’s accession to the regional organization. Uzbekistan applied for EURASEC membership in October 2005.[1]

This development effectively finalized the merger of EURASEC and the Central Asian Cooperation Organization (a group of four countries—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan—that has been in existence under different names since 1994). It also de facto ended Uzbekistan’s membership in GUUAM (an alliance between Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Moldova, established in November 1997). Both chambers of the Oliy Majlis (Uzbekistan’s parliament)—the Legislative Chamber and Senate—ratified the EURASEC accession protocol, on 9 and 25 February, respectively. On 7 March, Uzbek president Islam Karimov signed the document into law.[2,3]

Uzbekistan’s membership generated changes in voting arrangements within EURASEC. Earlier Russia had 40 percent of the voting rights, Kazakhstan and Belarus had 20 percent each, while Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan had 10 percent each. Under the new distribution of votes, Russia retains 40 percent of the vote, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Uzbekistan will each have 15 percent, while Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan will share the remaining 15 percent.[4]

It is expected to take about a year for Uzbekistan to be fully integrated in EURASEC; the country must sign and ratify earlier agreements signed by EURASEC member states and adjust its national legislation. According to the Uzbek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Uzbekistan “is willing to meet the agreed schedule without any transitional periods” and will join 65 EURASEC treaties by the end of 2006.[5] In terms of export controls, as a new EURASEC member, Uzbekistan will sign and ratify the Agreement on a Common Order of Export Control by EURASEC Member States. In accordance with the agreement signed on 28 October 2003, in Moscow, EURASEC members will establish common standardized export control norms, rules, and regulations covering raw materials, goods, equipment, technology, and services that can be used in the production of WMD and other types of military equipment and weapons, and WMD delivery means.

Uzbekistan’s departure from the Western-oriented GUUAM and accession to the Russia-dominated EURASEC is a logical continuation of political developments in 2005. The suppression by Uzbek authorities of the May 2005 antigovernment upheaval in Andijan and subsequent Western demands for an international investigation led to a sharp change in Uzbekistan’s foreign-policy orientation. The Uzbek leadership requested the departure of U.S. forces from the Khanabad air base drawing itself closer to Russia and China and the organizations where these states play a leading role, such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and EURASEC. While membership in EURASEC gives Uzbekistan a number of advantages, such as removing barriers to trade and economic cooperation, investment, and migrant labor, Russia also seeks to capitalize on this U-turn in Uzbek foreign policy by enhancing security cooperation with Uzbekistan, as well as promoting Russian business interests there. It is not clear, however, whether Tashkent will consider returning to the CIS Collective Security Treaty Organization.

[Editor’s Note: The agreement on the establishment of EURASEC was signed in Astana, Kazakhstan, on 10 October 2000. The successor to the CIS Customs Union, EURASEC seeks to create a customs union among its member states. At present, EURASEC member states include Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Armenia, Moldova, and Ukraine are observers within the organization.]

Sources:
[1] “Uzbekistan prinyat v Evraziyskoye ekonomicheskoye soobshchestvo” (Uzbekistan accepted to the Eurasian Economic Community), RIA Novosti, 25 January 2006, <http://www.rian.ru>.
[2] “Parlament Uzbekistana odobril vkhozhdeniye respubliki v EvrAzES” (Uzbekistan’s parliament approved the republic’s accession to EURASEC), Rosbalt news agency, 12 February 2006, <http://www.rosbalt.ru>.
[3] Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan, “O ratifikatsii Protokola o prisoyedinenii Respubliki Uzbekistan k Dogovoru ob uchrezhdenii Yevraziyskogo ekonomicheskogo soobshchestva ot 10 oktyabrya 2000 goda (Sankt-Peterburg, 25 yanvarya 2006 goda)” (On the ratification of the Protocol on the accession of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the Treaty establishing the Eurasian Economic Community of 10 October 2000 (St-Petersburg, 25 January 2006)), President of Uzbekistan Press Service website, 8 March 2006, <http://www.pressservice.uz/
ru/gsection.scm?groupId=
4347&contentId=17836>.
[4] Vladimir Kuzmin, “Tashkent prinyali” (Tashkent has been accepted), Rossiyskaya gazeta online edition, 26 January 2006, <http://www.rg.ru>.
[5] Abu-Ali Niyazmatov, “Uzbekistan to Join Several Eurasec Treaties,” RIA Novosti, 6 February 2006, <http://www.rian.ru>.
This item originally appeared in International Export Control Observer: <http://www.cns.miis.edu/pubs/
observer/index.htm>.

14-16 March 2005: KAZAKHSTAN TO ALLOCATE $7.7 MILLION FOR CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW CUSTOMS TERMINAL ON THE BORDER WITH UZBEKISTAN

During a three-day inspection of the customs posts located in the Manghystau oblast (western Kazakhstan) conducted on 14-16 March 2005, the chairman of the Customs Control Committee under Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Finances, Berdybek Saparbayev, announced his government’s plan to build a large customs terminal to upgrade the existing Tazhen customs post on the Kazakhstan border with Uzbekistan.[1,2]

At present, the Tazhen customs office is only equipped to perform routine vehicle inspections, while passenger and cargo trains originating from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan cross the border of Kazakhstan without undergoing customs control. The trains are checked only later, after entering Kazakhstan, at the Beyneu railway station, which is located 85 km from the Tazhen border crossing.[2,3] The Beyneu station, however, also lacks special equipment to check the trains effectively.[2] In an interview with the Kazakhstani Khabar television channel, Saparbayev pointed out that, after the trains cross the border into Kazakhstan, they make several stops before Beyneu station, a process that allows smugglers from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to transport contraband commodities and drugs with impunity onto the territory of Kazakhstan or use Kazakhstan as a transit country to transport drugs to Russia.

According to customs officials and police officers supervising the Beyneu station, the region is on the drug trafficking route that crosses Aqtau (the administrative center of the Manghystau oblast) and goes towards Moscow via Astrakhan (Russia).[2] Customs officials from the Manghystau oblast Customs Directorate indicated that from the point of view of drug trafficking, the Dushanbe (Tajikistan)-Astrakhan (Russia) as well as Kungrad (Uzbekistan)-Beyneu (Kazakhstan) trains are of particular concern.[4] Kazakh transportation and law enforcement officials believe the new customs terminal at the Tazhen border crossing will help solve many of the aforementioned problems.[2]

The construction cost of the new customs terminal at Tazhen is estimated to be approximately 1 billion Kazakh tenge ($7.7 million), and the terminal is slated to begin operating in 2006.[1,2] According to Saparbayev, the new terminal will operate according to the so-called “one-stop principle”[1] In this regard, Saparbayev noted, “As you might know, customs officials are not the only ones who work on the border.… We want to set up a single center to enable all services at the border [customs, sanitary-epidemiological, veterinary services, etc.] to work at one place. And they will work based on the ‘one-stop’ principle, which means that a vehicle, or any other mode of transportation will be stopped only once and controlled only once [by the various services present at the border].”[2]

Sources:
[1] Alla Loginova, “Berdybek Saparbayev inspektiruyet posty tamozhennogo kontrolya Mangistau” (Berdybek Saparbayev is inspecting the customs control offices of the Manghystau), Kazakh National Information Agency Kazinform, 15 March 2005, <http://www.inform.kz/showarticle.
php?lang=rus&id=115067>.
[2] “Boleye milliyarda tenge poluchat Mangistauskiye tamozhenniki na stroitelstvo kontrolno-propusknogo punkta na granitse s Uzbekistanom. Ob etom soobshchil predsedatel Komiteta tamozhennogo kontrolya Berdybek Saparbayev v khode inspektsionnoy poezdki v Mangitauskuyu oblast” [Manghystau customs officials will receive more than one billion tenge for the construction of a new customs control post on the border with Uzbekistan. The chairman of the Customs Control Committee, Berdybek Saparbaev, revealed the plan during the inspection tour of the Manghystau oblast], Khabar news agency and television channel (Kazakhstan), 17 March 2005, <http://www.khabar.kz/index.
php3?chapter=1111075064&date=
2005-03-17=rus&parent_id=1003479943#1111075064>.
[3] CNS phone communication with the Kazakh customs officials at the Beyneu customs office, 22 April 2005.
[4] “Devyat mesyatsev tamozhny” [Customs is nine months old], Lada [weekly newspaper of the city of Aqtau] online edition, No. 42 (337), 17 October 2002, <http://www.lada.kz/
text.asp?num=337&st=3>.
This item originally appeared in NIS Export Control Observer: <http://www.cns.miis.edu/
pubs/nisexcon/index.htm>.

12 January 2005: U.S. PROVIDES PATROL BOATS, VEHICLES, AND EQUIPMENT TO UZBEKISTAN AND KYRGYZSTAN

In early 2005, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan received export control equipment and technical assistance from the United States under the U.S. State Department EXBS program. The following is a summary of these efforts.

On 12 January 2005, U.S. Ambassador to Uzbekistan Jon Purnell presented two new Gyurza river patrol boats, valued at $5.6 million, to Major General Ilkhom Ibragimov, commander of the Border Troops of the Committee for State Border Protection of the National Security Service of Uzbekistan. The handover ceremony in the Uzbek border town of Termez was attended by officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of State Office of the Coordinator of U.S. Assistance to Europe and Eurasia, as well as city officials from Termez and representatives of the Ukrainian firms that built the boats—“Leninska kuznya” shipyard, and the design and construction firm Progress. The Gyurza class vessels were provided to Uzbekistan under the U.S. Department of State–funded Aviation/Interdiction Project. [Editor’s Note: The Aviation/Interdiction Project, as part of the U.S. Department of State-funded Export Control and Related Border Security Assistance (EXBS) program, focuses on air patrol and interdiction capabilities of recipient countries to improve their border security and enhance counter-terrorism capability and interoperability.] The 20-meter-long vessels equipped with an integrated sensor package that permits a day/night, all-weather operating capability, will be based in Termez and used to patrol the Amudarya River along Uzbekistan’s southern border with Afghanistan. Having a very shallow draft and tunnel hull drive, the boats were specially designed for the unique hydrology of the Amudarya River.[1]

On 15 February 2005, Ambassador Purnell presented a total of $749,539-worth of equipment to the Uzbek State Customs Committee, Committee for State Border Protection, Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Emergency Situations. The equipment, donated under the EXBS program, included 252 pager-size radiation detectors, 20 Ludlum Geiger counters, 8 “product acoustic signature” systems, 20 density meters, 18 Metor metal detectors, 60 Metor handheld metal detectors, and 34 pairs of night-vision binoculars. Since its inception in April 2000, the EXBS program has donated more than $12 million in equipment and training to the government of Uzbekistan. In the comings months, EXBS equipment donations will include cargo X-ray equipment for the Tashkent International Airport, as well as new engines and tires for BTR-80 patrol vehicles, valued at over $1.7 million. Other major equipment donations scheduled for delivery next year include two helicopter simulators valued at $6.5 million.[2]

On 28 January 2005, the U.S. Embassy in the Kyrgyz Republic provided EXBS technical assistance worth $2.6 million to the Kyrgyz Border Guard Service, Department of Customs Service of the Committee on Revenues under the Ministry of Finance, and to the Ministry of Ecology and Emergency Situations. The assistance included 30 KamAZ trucks, 10 Niva vehicles, 54 sets of radio equipment, 84 sets of cold weather gear, and 60 night-vision goggles. The equipment will be used for nonproliferation and border security efforts, as well as interdiction of the transit of illegal goods.[3]

Sources:
[1] “United States Presents River Patrol Boats to the Committee for State Border Protection,” U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan press release, 13 January 2005, <http://www.usembassy.uz/
home/index.aspx?&=&mid=429&lid=1&overview=1084>.
[2] “United States Presents Radiation Detection and Other Equipment to the Agencies of the Government of Uzbekistan,” 15 February 2005, <http://www.usembassy.uz/
home/index.aspx?&mid=429&overview=1115>.
[3] U.S. Embassy in the Kyrgyz Republic press release, 28 January 2005, <http://bishkek.usembassy.gov/releases/
2005/EXBIS%20handover_Jan%2028_Eng.doc>.
This item originally appeared in NIS Export Control Observer: <http://www.cns.miis.edu/
pubs/nisexcon/index.htm>.

30 October – 5 November 2004: WMD-RELATED EXERCISE HELD IN UZBEKISTAN

On 30 October – 5 November 2004, a seven-day Uzbek-U.S. integrated exercise was held in Uzbekistan under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) International Counterproliferation (ICP) program. The exercise was designed to improve coordinated interagency response to a simulated WMD incident by Uzbek government agencies responsible for emergency response to incidents involving WMD materials. It also served to integrate training and equipment provided to Uzbekistan under the ICP program. Seventy-five officers from Uzbekistan’s General Prosecutor’s Office, Ministries of Defense, Internal Affairs, Emergency Situations and Health, State Customs Committee, Committee on State Border Protection, and Institute of Nuclear Physics participated in the exercise.[1]

The integrated exercise was implemented by the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Department of Homeland Security as part of a larger cooperative effort between the government of Uzbekistan and the U.S. government. Since December 1996, numerous policy, assessment, and training events have been conducted in Uzbekistan, and more than $1 million worth of equipment necessary for countering the trafficking of WMD components and related materials has been provided to this country under the ICP program. The equipment provided includes radiation pagers, intrusion detection devices, chemical and radiological detection and measurement devices, individual protective gear, decontamination equipment, and evidence collection kits.[1]

Editor’s Note: The mission of the ICP program is to counter the threat of proliferation of WMD, related materials, and technologies across the borders and through the independent states of the former Soviet Union, the Baltic region, and Eastern Europe. The DOD implements this program in collaboration with the FBI, the U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, and other U.S. federal agencies by providing to participating countries a range of law enforcement and border security training and equipment necessary to enhance their capability to deter, detect, interdict, investigate, and respond to WMD-related incidents.[2]

Sources:
[1] “Uzbek Security Officials Complete WMD Integrated Exercise Sponsored by the U.S. Embassy, U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan press release, 5 November 2004, <http://www.usembassy.uz/
home/index.aspx?&=&mid=
283&overview=1024>.
[2] “International Counterproliferation Program”, Defense Threat Reduction Agency fact sheet, January 2005, <http://www.dtra.mil/press_resources
/fact_sheets/
display.cfm?fs=icp>.
This item originally appeared in NIS Export Control Observer: <http://www.cns.miis.edu/
pubs/nisexcon/index.htm>.

9 September 2004: RUSSIA REPATRIATES NUCLEAR FUEL FROM UZBEKISTAN

Nearly 11 kilograms of Russian-origin enriched uranium fuel, including three kilograms of highly enriched uranium (HEU), have been repatriated to Russia from a research reactor near the Uzbek capital of Tashkent. HEU is potentially usable for nuclear weapons. The fuel was airlifted under guard on 9 September 2004, from an airport outside of Tashkent to the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Atomic Reactors in Dimitrovgrad, Russia, where it will be downblended into low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel suitable for use in nuclear power reactors. LEU cannot be used for nuclear weapons.

The nuclear fuel assemblies were originally supplied to Uzbekistan for use in the Russian-designed 10 megawatt VVR-SM research reactor, located at the Institute of Nuclear Physics (INP) in Ulugbek, 30 km northeast of Tashkent.

The one-day secret operation was a joint effort between the governments of Russia, the United States, and Uzbekistan, as well as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Uzbekistan provided guarded transport for the fuel from the reactor to the airport in Tashkent; Russia supplied transportation canisters and coordinated the implementation of the project; and the IAEA provided safeguards inspectors to confirm the removal of the material from Uzbekistani control to Russia.[1,2,3,4] The United States provided funding and technical expertise under the U.S. Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI). The mission of the GTRI is to remove and/or secure high-risk nuclear and radiological materials and equipment around the world that pose a potential threat to the United States and to the international community. Under the GTRI, which is implemented by the U.S. Department of Energy, the United States will work with Russia to repatriate all Russian-origin fresh HEU fuel from non-Russian research centers formerly supported by the Soviet Union. The work is to be completed by the end of 2005. All Soviet/Russian-origin HEU spent fuel is to be repatriated from such centers by 2010.[4,5,6,7]

Two cooling ponds at INP in Ulugbek still house at least 237 irradiated fuel elements containing HEU, which, according to Matthew Bunn of Harvard University’s Project on Managing the Atom, are no longer “self-protecting,” meaning that the material is no longer so radioactive that it would injure anyone who handled it. According to a Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency official, the transfer of these irradiated fuel elements to Russia’s Mayak facility is expected to take place in 2005.[4,5,8]

This is the fifth repatriation of HEU fuel to Russia since August 2002. Earlier transfers involved Russian-origin fuel from Serbia and Montenegro (August 2002), Romania (September 2003), Bulgaria (December 2003), and Libya (March 2004).

Editor’s Note: INP was founded in 1956 as part of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan.[9] INP is often described as the largest facility of its kind in Central Asia and aims to become the primary nuclear research and isotope production facility for the region.[10] In addition to the VVR-SM reactor, the institute houses two cyclotrons, a gamma source facility, a neutron generator, and a radiochemical complex.[11] From 1959 to 1971, the reactor used LEU fuel elements enriched to 10%. (HEU is defined as uranium enriched to more than 20%, but the material enriched to more than 80% is considered the most useful for nuclear weapons.) From 1971 to 1979, the reactor was modernized under a project developed by Russia’s Kurchatov Institute. From 1979 to August 1998, the reactor used IRT-2M type fuel assemblies with 90% HEU-based fuel. The reactor was converted to use 36% HEU under the Russian Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors program, a process lasting from August 1998 to February 1999. The last of the 90% HEU fuel was loaded into the reactor core in August 1998. Uzbekistan has agreed to further reduce the enrichment level of fuel at the reactor to 19.7% HEU.[3,12]

Sources:
[1] “SShA i Rossiya osushchestvili sovmestnuyu operatsiyu po vyvozu yadernogo topliva iz Uzbekistana” [USA and Russia conduct joint operation on the repatriation of nuclear fuel from Uzbekistan], ITAR-TASS, 14 September 2004; Minatom website, <http://www.minatom.ru/Community/news>.
[2] “Rossiya vyvezla 11 kg yadernogo topliva iz Uzbekistana” [Russia repatriated 11 kg of nuclear fuel from Uzbekistan], Interfax, 13 September 2004.
[3] “Secret Mission to Recover Highly Enriched Uranium in Uzbekistan Successful: Fuel Returned to Secure Facility in Russia,” 13 September 2004; U.S. Department of Energy website, <http://www.energy.gov/engine/
content.do?BT_CODE=
PR_PRESSRELEASES>.
[4] Mike Nartker, “Uzbekistan Returns Reactor Fuel to Russia in Latest U.S.-Funded Mission,” Global Security Newswire, 14 September 2004, Nuclear Threat Initiative website, <http://www.nti.org/d_newswire/
issues/2004_9_14.html>.
[5] “Russia May Collect Spent Fuel from Uzbek Scientific Reactor in 2005,” Interfax, 5 August 2004.
[6] “Russia, U.S. Sign Spent Nuclear Fuel Agreement,” Interfax, 27 May 2004.
[7] “Remarks Prepared for Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham,” International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, 26 May 2004, U.S. Department of Energy website, <http://www.energy.gov/
engine/content.do?BT_CODE=
PR_PRESSRELEASES>.
[8] “Research Reactor Database,” International Atomic Energy Agency website, <http://www.iaea.org/
worldatom/rrdb>.
[9] U.S. Department of Energy, Russia/NIS Nuclear Material Security Task Force, Improving Nuclear Materials Security at the Institute of Nuclear Physics--Tashkent, Uzbekistan (Washington, D.C., June 1997), U.S. Department of Energy Material Protection, Control and Accounting Program website, <http://www.nn.doe.gov/
mpca/text/t-broch/t-uzb/
t-uzb.htm>.
[10] L. E. Romesburg, Institute of Nuclear Physics, Tashkent, Uzbekistan (Washington, D.C., June 1997), Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation website, <http://www.nn.doe.gov/.../nibs051.htm>.
[11] “The Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences,” Cooperative Monitoring Center website, <http://www.cmc.sandia.gov/Central
/InstituteNucPhysics.htm>.
[12] E. P. Ryazantsev, et. al., “Testing of the IRT-4M Type FA with LEU UO2-Al Fuel in WWR-CM Reactor,” paper presented at the 1998 International RERTR Meeting, 18-23 October 1998, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Argonne National Lab Technology Development Division website, <http://www.td.anl.gov/
.../PDF/Egor00.pdf>.
This item originally appeared in NIS Export Control Observer: <http://www.cns.miis.edu/
pubs/nisexcon/index.htm>.

26 August 2004: EXPORT CONTROL LAW ADOPTED IN UZBEKISTAN

On 26 August 2004, the Oliy Mazhlis (parliament) of the Republic of Uzbekistan adopted the law On Export Control on the second reading and issued a decree bringing it into force.[1] Since the previous, April 2004 session of the Oliy Mazhlis, when the parliament voted for the draft law introduced by the Cabinet of Ministers on the first reading, the document has been under interagency and expert review. As a result, the draft was revised to specify duties of the authorized governmental export control body and to increase the responsibilities of exporters.[2]

According to Mukhammadzhon Umaraliyev, chairman of the Oliy Mazhlis committee on economic reform and entrepreneurship, who presented the law for the second reading, the law On Export Control was prepared based on export control practices and legislation of the European Union, Japan, Russia, and the United States. The law provides for the establishment of the licensing procedure for exports of items subject to export control, including goods, equipment, scientific and technical information, activities, services, and intellectual property that can be used to produce WMD, means of their delivery, and other types of weapons and military hardware. The law also commits producers and exporters of such items to introduce internal compliance programs.[1,2]

Sources:
[1] “Informatsiya o pervom dne raboty pyatnadtsatoy sessii Oliy Mazhlisa Respubliki Uzbekistan vtorogo sozyva” [Information on the first day of work of the fifteenth session of the second Oliy Mazhlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan], UzA news agency, 26 August 2004, <http://www.uza.uz/politics/?id1=1559>.
[2] Pulat Daniyarov, “Eksportnyy kontrol radi bezopasnosti” [Export control for the sake of security], Narodnoye slovo, 14 August 2004, No. 165; in “M. Umaraliyev (glava komiteta Parlamenta) – Zachem Uzbekistanu zakon ‘Ob eksportnom kontrole’” [M. Umaraliyev (chairman of the Parliament committee): “Why Uzbekistan needs the law On Export Control”], TsentrAsia website, 17 August 2004, <http://www.centrasia.ru/
newsA.php4?st=1092720600>.
This item originally appeared in the NIS Export control Observer: <http://www.cns.miis.edu/
pubs/nisexcon/index.htm>.

31 March 2004: UN PROVIDES EQUIPMENT TO UZBEK CUSTOMS AND BORDER SERVICES
On 31 March 2004, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) regional representative office in Central Asia provided the State Customs Committee and the State Border Guard Committee of Uzbekistan with special customs and border control equipment for installation at the Khayraton checkpoint on the Uzbek-Afghan border. The donation included X-ray equipment for checking passengers and cargo, electric power generators to ensure the uninterrupted operation of the checkpoint equipment, and computer equipment to set up specialized networks for collecting and processing customs and border control related information.[1]

The equipment was provided as part of a two-year project started by the UNODC regional representative office in June 2003 to improve customs and border control. The program aims more particularly to combat drug trafficking, enhance border security on the Uzbek-Afghan border, and facilitate the circulation of commercial cargoes and individuals to and from Afghanistan. The project, worth more than $2 million, is funded by Finland, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States.[1] Another milestone in this assistance effort was the November 2003 opening of the new Airitom customs complex on the right bank of the Amudarya River, near the Termez-Khayraton Bridge.[2]

Sources:
[1] “Regionalnoye predstavitelstvo Upravleniya OON po narkotikam i prestupnosti peredalo oborudovaniye dlya KPP” [UN Office on Drugs and Crime regional representative office donated equipment for the checkpoint], UzA national news agency (Uzbekistan), 31 March 2004, <http://www.uza.uz/society/?id1=749>.
[2] “New Customs Complex Opened in Uzbekistan,” NIS Export Control Observer, No. 13, February 2004, p. 3, <http://www.cns.miis.edu/nis-excon>.
This item originally appeared in NIS Export Control Observer: <http://www.cns.miis.edu/
pubs/nisexcon/index.htm>.

9 November 2003: NEW CUSTOMS COMPLEX OPENED IN UZBEKISTAN

On 9 November 2003, a customs complex called Airitom opened in Uzbekistan, on the right bank of the Amudarya river, near the Termez-Khayraton bridge on the Uzbekistani-Afghanistani border.[1,2] The opening ceremony was attended by President of the Asian Development Bank Tadao Chino, Uzbekistani Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Azimov, representatives of Afghanistan led by the country’s Minister of Trade Saidmustafo Kozimi, ambassadors of more than 30 countries, and representatives of international organizations in Uzbekistan.[2,3] The construction of the complex was part of a joint project of the State Customs Committee of Uzbekistan and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime regional representative office in Central Asia. The project, worth more than $2 million, was financed by Norway, Finland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The complex is equipped with modern telecommunication equipment, video surveillance systems, and special drug detection, screening, and radiation control equipment. The complex will also be equipped with vehicle scales and overhead railway cranes.[1,2,3]

It is expected that the transit of goods and individuals will significantly grow on the Uzbekistani-Afghanistani border following the recent decision by the Uzbekistani government to allow the movement of commercial cargoes and individuals through the Termez-Khayraton bridge in addition to international humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. The new customs complex is thus designed to provide effective customs and border control.[2,3]

Sources:
[1] “U mosta Termez-Khayraton vveden v ekspluatatsiyu tamozhennyy kompleks ‘Airitom’” [The “Airitom” customs complex was put in service near the Termez-Khayraton bridge], UzA news agency (Uzbekistan), 11 November 2003, <http://www.uza.uz/
business/2003/11/3.shtml>.
[2] Vilor Niyazmatov, “Krupneyshiy v Tsentralnoy Azii tamozhennyy kompleks na uzbeksko-afganskoy granitse vveden v ekspluatatsiyu” [The largest customs complex in Central Asia was put in service on the Uzbek-Afghan border], ITAR-TASS, 9 November 2003; in Integrum Techno, <http://www.integrum.com>.
[3] “‘Airitom’ zhelayet dobrogo puti” [“Airitom” wishes a pleasant journey], Zhakhon news agency, 11 November 2003, <http://jahon.mfa.uz/ARHIV/
2003/11/11112003.htm>.
This item originally appeared in NIS Export Control Observer: <http://www.cns.miis.edu/
pubs/nisexcon/index.htm>.

26 September 2003: UZBEKISTAN LIBERALIZES EXPORT/IMPORT CONTROL PROCEDURES
On 26 September 2003, in an effort to further liberalize Uzbekistan’s export/import control procedures and in accordance with the memorandum on economic and financial policy jointly developed by the Uzbekistani government and the International Monetary Fund in 2002, President Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan signed an edict On Measures for Further Liberalization of Foreign Trade Activity in the Republic of Uzbekistan. The decree aims to ease the existing administrative controls over export/import transactions and improve the efficiency of the current foreign trade regulation system.[1,2,3] Effective from 1 October 2003, the edict abolishes the requirement to pre-register import contracts at the Agency for Foreign Economic Activity, except for contracts financed with state funds or with loans granted to or guaranteed by the Uzbekistani government, and for contracts involving state-owned companies.[1]

Sources:
[1] Ukaz Prezidenta Respubliki Uzbekistan O merakh po dalneyshey liberalizatsii vneshnetorgovoy deyatelnosti v Respublike Uzbekistan, [Edict of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan On Measures for further liberalization of foreign trade activity in the Republic of Uzbekistan], Press Service of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan website, 26 September 2003, <http://www.press-service.uz/rus/documents/uk09262003.htm>.
[2] “Zhizn inostrannykh kompaniy v Uzbekistane oblegchitsya” [Life of foreign companies in Uzbekistan will be made easier], Centran information agency, 29 September 2003, <http://www.centran.ru/cgi-bin/index.pl?text_id=
10600&all=yes>.
[3] “Uzbekistan's Action plan to ensure convertibility of national currency on current international operations,” State Property Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan website, 27 June 2003, <http://www.spc.gov.uz/
ereforms/plan.html>.
This item originally appeared in NIS Export Control Observer: <http://www.cns.miis.edu/
pubs/nisexcon/index.htm>.

22 August 2003: UZBEKISTAN RECEIVES EQUIPMENT UNDER EXBS PROGRAM
In the summer of 2003, the United States donated two large installments of equipment and accessories to Uzbekistan as part of the Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) program. On 22 July 2003, the State Border Guard Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan received 146 UAZ off-road vehicles worth $800,000.[1] According to local press reports, EXBS initially planned to supply Uzbekistan with Hummer vehicles made in the United States. However, it later became clear that the use of Hummers would be complicated under local conditions due to low-quality gasoline and the high cost of spare parts.[1]

One month later, on 22 August 2003, a representative of the U.S. embassy in Uzbekistan, David Michael Reinert, provided the State Border Guard Committee and the State Customs Committee of Uzbekistan with 17 tons of communication equipment worth $1.8 million, including 3,776 Motorola radios and 708 antennas.[2,3] 

The United States is expected to provide Uzbekistan with an additional $6 million worth of assistance this year through the EXBS program, including 6,000 radios, 45 trucks, and a large quantity of night vision goggles.[1] In 2004, the United States plans to provide Uzbekistan with two helicopter simulators and two motor boats, which will allow Uzbekistan to strengthen the protection of its border with Afghanistan along the Amudarya river.[1]

Sources:
[1] “SShA namereny udarit po uzbekskomu bezdorozhyu rossiyskoy tekhnikoy” [U.S. intends to beat impassable Uzbekistani roads with Russian vehicles], Uzland, 22 July 2003, <http://www.uzland.info>.
[2] Radio Tashkent International, 22 August 2003, <http://ino.uzpak.uz/rus/
news_rus/news_rus_2208.html>.
[3] “SShA peredali Tamozhennomu komitetu i Komitetu po okhrane granitsy sredstva svyazi” [U.S. provided the Customs Committee and Border Guard Committee with communications equipment], UzA, 24 August 2003, <http://www.uza.uz/
society/2003/8/13.shtml>.
This item originally appeared in NIS Export Control Observer: <http://www.cns.miis.edu/
pubs/nisexcon/index.htm>.

July 2003: U.S. DONATES VEHICLES TO UZBEKISTANI BORDER AND CUSTOMS SERVICES
In July 2003, the U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan donated 146 UAZ vehicles to the Uzbekistani State Customs Committee and the State Border Protection Committee.  The vehicles, valued at over $800,000, included five UAZ vans, 10 UAZ ambulances, 55 UAZ trucks, and 76 UAZ four-wheel drive vehicles.[1] The donation is part of the Export Control and Related Border Security Assistance Program under the U.S. Department of State. Since its inception in April 2000, the program has provided $3.5 million worth of assistance to Uzbekistan and, by the end of 2003, it plans to deliver an extra $6 million worth of trucks, communications systems, and night vision goggles.[2] In addition, in 2004 the United States intends to donate two helicopter flight simulators worth a total of $6.5 million and two patrol boats worth a total of $6.8 million.[1]
Sources:
[1] Uzbek Television First Channel, 22 July 2003; in "US Provides Vehicles for Uzbekistani Border Guard Service," FBIS Document CEP20030722000319.
[2] Vilor Niyazmatov, "Uzbekskiye pogranichniki i tamozhenniki poluchili v dar ot SShA bolee 146 avtomobiley-vnedorozhnikov," ITAR-TASS, 24 July 2003.
This item originally appeared in NIS Export Control Observer: <http://www.cns.miis.edu/
pubs/nisexcon/index.htm>. {Entered 28 July 2003 AE}

31 May 2003: UNITED STATES TO ASSIST IN INSTALLATION OF NEW RADIATION MONITORS IN UZBEKISTAN

A May 2003 article in the Uzbekistani weekly Nalogovyye i tamozhennyye vesti described a meeting at which  officials and experts from the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent, and the State Customs Committee of Uzbekistan discussed the installation of additional portal monitors at border checkpoints in Uzbekistan. As of 31 May 2003, seven vehicle and four pedestrian monitors were in place at the Gisht Kuprik (Tashkent Oblast), Alat (Bukhara Oblast), Tashkent-Aero (Tashkent Airport), and Ayritom (Surkhandarya Oblast) customs checkpoints. Officials at the meeting proposed the installation of additional monitors, including eleven vehicle and seven railcar monitors.

At the meeting, U.S. officials announced the creation of a new assistance program, the Department of Defense WMD Proliferation Prevention Program, which is part of the Cooperative Threat Reduction program. Under the WMD Proliferation Prevention Program, the United States will provide Uzbekistan with funds to install the additional monitors and to train officers and personnel working with the equipment to ensure efficient functioning of security measures at customs checkpoints.  Installation of the monitors and related training will be carried out by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the U.S. Department of Energy, and will be funded by the U.S. Department of State.[1,2,3] 

Editor’s Note: Portal monitors are stationary monitoring devices that can be positioned along a road or railway to detect radioactivity in passing vehicles or pedestrians without impeding traffic.[4]

Sources:
[1] Nalogovyye i tamozhennyye vesti, 31 May 2003; in “US Defense Experts, Uzbek Customs Officials Discuss Installation of New Monitors,” FBIS Document CEP20030531000092.
[2] Nalogovyye i tamozhennyye vesti; in “Tamozhnya za razoruzheniye” [Customs for disarmament], Informatsionnoye agentstvo Zhakhon website, <http://jahon.mfa.uz/ARHIV/
2003/5/31052003.htm>.
[3] For more information on the WMD Proliferation Prevention Program, see “U.S. Export Control Initiatives,” NIS Export Control Observer, July 2003, pp. 6-8, CNS website, <http://cns.miis.edu/nis-excon>.
[4] “Portal Monitors,” Polimaster Ltd. website, <http://www.polimaster.com/en/products/
monitors.htm>.
This item originally appeared in NIS Export Control Observer: <http://www.cns.miis.edu/pubs/
nisexcon/index.htm>.

27 May 2003: SUPREME MILITARY INSTITUTE OF CUSTOMS ESTABLISHED IN UZBEKISTAN
According to a 27 May 2003 report from UzA (Uzbekistan National News Agency), the Supreme Military Customs Institute of the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan has been established as part of the Customs Department of the Academy of Taxation and Customs Bodies. The Academy is subordinate to the State Committee for Taxation and the Customs College under the State Customs Committee.[1]

According to Decree No. 229 of the Uzbekistani Cabinet of Ministers of 22 May 2003 On Further Improvement of the Training System for Personnel of the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Institute will provide professional training to customs officers. In addition, the Institute will conduct research in the field of customs, and develop recommendations on improving work methods and procedures. There are also plans to collaborate with similar educational institutions of foreign countries.[2]

The Institute will run a four-year Bachelor of Arts and a two-year Master of Arts program. The time students spend in the Supreme Military Institute of Customs will be counted towards their term of service in customs bodies. Colonel Sharakhmedov has been appointed as the first director of the Institute by the chairman of the State Customs Committee upon the agreement of the President of Uzbekistan.[3]

Approximately 125 students will be admitted to the Bachelor of Arts program of the Institute in the 2003-2004 academic year. Classes will start on 1 September 2003.

Editor's Note: The Supreme Military Institute of Customs will provide students with higher education while the Customs College provides specialized secondary education.

Sources:
[1] "V Uzbekistane sozdan Vysshiy voyennyy tamozhennyy institut" [A Supreme Military Institute of Customs Created in Uzbekistan], Information reference guide to Uzbekistan “Uzland,” <http://www.uzland.uz/2003/
may/28/08.htm>, 27 May 2003.
[2] Postanovleniye Kabineta Ministrov Respubliki Uzbekistan O dalneyshem sovershenstvovanii sistemy podgotovki kadrov dlya organov Gosudarstvennogo tamozhennogo komiteta Respubliki Uzbekistan [Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan On further improvement of the system of personnel training for bodies of the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan], Press-service of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan website, <http://www.press-service.uz/rus/
documents/uk05222003a.htm>, 22 May 2003.
[3] CNS interview with an official of the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan, 9 July 2003.
This item originally appeared in the NIS Export Control Observer: <http://www.cns.miis.edu/
pubs/nisexcon/index.htm>.

January 2003: UZBEKISTAN TOUGHENS CUSTOMS LAWS
In response to growing problems with illegal goods crossing the Uzbekistani border, Uzbekistan has tightened its border and customs control laws.  The new rules call for more inspections on vehicles entering and leaving Uzbekistan, as well as new forms that must be filled out.  Three new forms--one each for imported, exported, and transit goods--now must be filled out, replacing the old delivery control form covering all three types of goods.[1]  Most of the illegal goods are Chinese commodities brought to the Kazakhstani or Kyrgyzstani border then smuggled into Uzbekistan by traders trying to dodge customs and tax payments.[2]
Sources:
[1] Nalogovyye i tamozhennyye vesti, 11 January 2003; in "Uzbekistan toughens customs rules for goods transported by road," FBIS Document CEP 20030111000086.
[2] "Uzbek government tightens anti-smuggling measures," Interfax, 20 January 2003.
This item originally appeared in NIS Export Control Observer: <http://www.cns.miis.edu/pubs/
nisexcon/index.htm>. {Entered 2 June 2003 AE}

27 November 2002:  DRAFT EXPORT CONTROL LAW SENT TO CABINET OF MINISTERS FOR REVIEW
According to Tashmukhamed Satiboldiyev, department head at the Institute of Strategic and Inter-Regional Studies under the aegis of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan's draft law on export controls was sent for review to the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan on 27 November 2002. Work on the bill was coordinated by the Agency for Foreign Trade and involved members of the Uzbekistani parliament, the Oliy Majlis. Upon approval by the Cabinet of Ministers, the bill will be submitted to the parliament.
Source:

[1]NIS Representative Office Correspondence with Uzbekistani official; in "Uzbekistani Government Reviews Draft Export Control Law," NIS Export Control Observer, January 2003, CNS website, http://cns.miis.edu/nis-excon. {Entered 13 March 2003 KB}

28 August 2002: NEW CUSTOMS POST SET UP ON UZBEKISTAN-KYRGYZSTAN BORDER
Andizhan Oblast in eastern Uzbekistan opened a new customs post in Khonobod.  The post is located on the road that connects Andizhan oblast with Dzhalal-Abad in Kyrgyzstan. The post is equipped with computers, as well as devices to detect arms, ammunition, and narcotic substances.  X-ray equipment for screening luggage will be installed in the future.
Source:

[1]UzReport.com, 28 August 2002; in "New customs post set up on Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan border," FBIS Document CEP20020828000197. {Entered 27 September 2002 AI}

15-18 April 2002:  SIXTH FORUM ON EXPORT CONTROLS:  BARRIER AGAINST WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION, PROLIFERATION, AND TERRORISM
The Sixth Central Asia and Caucasus Nonproliferation Export Control Forum, Export Control: a Barrier against Weapons of Mass Destruction, Proliferation and Terrorism was held on 15-18 April 2002 in Tashkent. The Forum was co-sponsored by the U.S. and Uzbekistani governments, and gathered representatives from Central Asia, Caucasus, the United States, and Europe, as well as experts in the field of nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The Forum addressed the risks of WMD proliferation and terrorism, and the role of interagency coordination and international cooperation to ameliorate these risks.[1] During the plenary sessions, country representatives highlighted the progress made by their governments in strengthening their export control systems in the past year. Discussions focused on national export control regulations and licensing processes, the possibility of adopting the European unified control list, the regional Transit Agreement currently under discussion among Central Asian and Caucasus countries, and border security. At the end of the meeting, the delegates produced a list of recommendations to bring back to their respective capitals, stressing, among other things, the importance of completing and signing the Transit Agreement; harmonizing export control systems by adopting the European Union control list and standardizing end-user certificates; encouraging interagency cooperation and involvement of the scientific community in the export control process; customs officials training and creating export control command centers to assist their work at the borders. The delegates also underscored the importance of facilitating information sharing and coordination, particularly when trafficking incidents occur in the region.[2]

In his speech to forum participants, Abdulaziz Kamilov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan, highlighted the development of Uzbekistan's export controls regulations, and noted that in 1997 during the implementation of Uzbekistani presidential edict On Additional Measures to Stimulate Export, essential elements from the export control regulations of other countries were incorporated into Uzbekistan's own export control policy. Uzbekistan is currently working on implementing the 1991 UN resolution on transparency in armaments. Minister Kamilov noted that efficient export control policy is becoming a key mechanism to facilitate WMD nonproliferation. The success of export controls will depend on compliance with WMD regulations, enforcement of stability and security, harmonization of existing international regulations, full participation in the NPT, realization of the UN's decision to place an embargo on arms sale to areas of concern, and the taking of measures to prevent terrorists and their sponsors access to WMD, technology, and equipment. 
Sources:
[1] "US Department of State and the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of Uzbekistan Hosts Forum "Export Controls: Barriers Against Weapons of Mass Destruction, Proliferation, and Terrorism", The United States Embassy in Uzbekistan website, http://www.usembassy.uz/
2002/020412.htm, 12 April 2002.
[2] "Materialy VI foruma po eksportnomy kontrolyu," Tashkent Institute of Strategic and International Studies website, http://www.uzstrateg.info/frontend/
index.cfm?target=analysis&asection_id=8
[3] "Osnovnoy doklad ego prevoskhoditelstva Abdulaziza Kamilova, Ministra inostrannykh del Respubliki Uzbekistan," Tashkent Institute of Strategic and International Studies website, http://www.uzstrateg.info/frontend/
index.cfm?target=analysis&sub=article&analysis_id=35
{Entered 21 February 2003 AI}

20 March 2001:  WORKERS FROM UZBEKISTAN TO HELP BUILD NUCLEAR REACTORS IN NORTH KOREA
On 20 March 2001, a team of 207 workers from Uzbekistan left South Korea for the North Korean town of Kumho, where the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO) is overseeing the construction of two 1,000MW light water reactors.  KEDO, an international consortium lead by the United States, South Korea, and Japan, was formed under a 1994 deal that shut down North Korea's old graphite-moderated reactors.[1,2]  Uzbekistan joined KEDO in December 2000.[3]
Sources:
[1] Kyodo News Service, 20 March 2001; in "207 Uzbek workers leave for N. Korea reactor construction site," FBIS Document JPP20010320000075.
[2] "Uzbek workers hired to speed up building of North Korea reactors," Agence France Presse, 19 March 2001; in Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe, http://www.lexis-nexis.com.
[3] "Uzbek workers to build nuclear reactors in North Korea," ITAR-TASS, 20 March 2001; in "Uzbekistani workers to build nuclear reactors in North Korea," FBIS Document CEP20010320000242.{Entered 29 March 2001 KB}
 
30 March 2000:  UZBEKISTANI CUSTOMS THWART TRANSIT OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL
On 30 March 2000 a truck containing 10 lead containers emitting 5,000 milliroentgens of radiation per hour was detained at a customs post north of Tashkent.  The shipment was reportedly being transported from Kazakhstan in an Iranian vehicle bound for Pakistan.  Uzbekistani authorities turned the truck and its cargo over to Kazakhstani authorities for analysis.[1]  Sergey Lukashenko, a scientist from the Kazakhstani Institute of Nuclear Physics, later reported that the cargo was scrap metal from uranium mining facilities, not lead containers, and that the radiation was much lower than reported by Uzbekistani Customs.[2]  For more information, see the NIS Nuclear Trafficking Database.

Sources:
[1] Uzbek Television First Channel, 2 April 2000; in "Uzbek Customs Thwart Transit of Radioactive Material," FBIS Document CEP20000402000076, 2 April 2000.
[2] Kazakh Commercial Television, 8 April 2000; in "Kazakh customs official:  Uzbeks 'falsified' radioactive cargo report," BBC Worldwide Monitoring, 8 April 2000; in Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe, http://www.lexis-nexis.com.{Entered 13 March 2001 KB}
 
February 1998:  U.S.-UZBEKISTAN JOINT COMMISSION 
The U.S.-Uzbekistan Joint Commission convened for the first time from 26-27 February 1998 in Washington, D.C. (Please see a copy of the U.S. Department of State document)  The Commission is meant to provide the two governments with a structure for maintaining regular high-level contacts.  Chaired by Ambassador-at-Large and Special Advisor to the Secretary of State for the NIS Steven Sestanovich and by Uzbekistani Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov, the Commission is divided into four Committees: Political; Military; Trade, Investment, and Energy; and Economic Reform.[1]  In addition to its intent to halt the spread of chemical and biological weapons, the Political Committee's Nonproliferation Subcommittee reiterated its commitment to the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) as the "cornerstone of the international nuclear nonproliferation regime."   The subcommittee also recognized the importance of maintaining export controls to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction and will promote U.S. Department of Defense training initiatives, including those under the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program (CTR).  The Commission also promised immediate implementation of the participation of Uzbekistani scientists and research institutes in the programs of the Science and Technology Center in Ukraine (STCU).[2]       

Sources:  
[1]  "US-Uzbekistan Joint Commission: Non-Proliferation," U.S. Department of State, 27 February 1998, http://www.usia.gov/products/
pdq/pdq.htm, 4 March 1998.
[2]  "Text: Statement on US-Uzbekistan Joint Commission," USIS Washington File, 27 February 1998.

22 December 1997: RUSSIA AND UZBEKISTAN SIGN NUCLEAR ENERGY AGREEMENT
On 22 December 1997, during a visit by Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin to Uzbekistan, an agreement on the peaceful use of nuclear energy was signed between the two governments.[1]  Uzbekistani President Islam Karimov said that, by signing the agreement, Uzbekistan showed its desire to restore and develop ties between nuclear research facilities in Russia and Uzbekistan.  Karimov expressed his desire that Russia use Uzbekistani uranium for Russian nuclear power plants and other purposes.[2]  No action was taken on Russia's proposal to set up joint enterprises to develop new uranium deposits in Uzbekistan.[3]
Sources:
[1] Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation, "Vizit V.S. Chernomyrdina v Uzbekistan," Diplomaticheskiy vestnik online edition, http://www.diplomat.ru, January 1998.
[2] Ivan Ivanov and Vilor Niyazmatov, ITAR-TASS, 22 December 1997; in "Uzbekistan:  Chernomyrdin, Karimov on Signing of Atomic Energy Agreement," FBIS Document DRSOV1997001153.
[3] M. Lillevyali, ITAR-TASS, 22 December 1997; in "Russia:  Chernomyrdin Discusses Economic Cooperation in Uzbekistan," FBIS Document DRSOV1997001391.{Entered 4 March 2001 NA}


Archived Report on Export Controls in Uzbekistan

Parts of this report were prepared by the Center for Nonproliferation Studies of the Monterey Institute of International Studies in January 1998 under a grant from the United States Department of Energy's Office of Nonproliferation and Arms Control. The views expressed in this report are those of the authors alone, and do not necessarily represent the views of the Department of Energy or the United States Government. 

Introduction
Uzbekistan has many laws and regulations designed to control exports and imports, but none of them have been written specifically to address nonproliferation-related export controls. Early legislation was clearly designed to regulate and protect domestic markets, with export licenses required for such items as cotton and carpets. Later regulations from 1994 and 1995 control military and nuclear items but contain very general lists.[1] On 27 November 2002, Uzbekistan's draft law on export controls was sent for review to the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan. Work on the bill was coordinated by the Agency for Foreign Trade and involved members of the Uzbekistani parliament, the Oliy Majlis. Upon approval by the Cabinet of Ministers, the bill will be submitted to parliament.[2]

There are a number of high-technology firms in Uzbekistan that produce potentially sensitive technologies: Tekhnolog RIA, which manufactures machine tools and metal cutting instruments; Start-Avia, which produces aircraft engines and parts; and Uzbekkosmos, which produces satellite launch technologies.[3] In addition, Uzbekistan has an extensive chemical industry based in the Fergana Valley, which primarily manufactures chemicals for use in agricultural pesticides. Lastly, there is extensive uranium mining and processing centered around the Navoi Mining and Metallurgy Complex (NMMC) as well as one nuclear research reactor near Tashkent.[4]

There are also a number of sites in Uzbekistan where sensitive, weapons-related activities previously took place. A genetics institute, which used to work on the development of biological agents to destroy enemy crops for the Soviet Ministry of Defense, is currently engaged in research to develop biological agents that could be used in the fight against opium and other illegal drug production.[5] The town of Nukus is the location of a chemical research institute that once served as the Soviet Union's second largest chemical weapons test site; according to a May 1999 implementing agreement signed by Uzbekistan and the United States, the Cooperative Threat Reduction program will provide $6 million for its dismantlement.[6,7] Vozrozhdeniya Island in the Aral Sea was the site of biological testing during the Soviet era. Finally, there was a widespread complex of heavy water production facilities in Uzbekistan that were shut down in 1985.[8]
Uzbekistani customs and border control posts have received vehicles and radiation detection equipment, including pagers, from the United States under a $3 million program to to improve Uzbekistan's border infrastructure.[9] In April 2000 the Chernayevka border post on the Kazakhstani border used U.S.-supplied pagers to intercept radioactive material on a truck headed for Pakistan.[10] Incursions by anti-government militants from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan in August and November 2000 led Uzbekistan to step up security along those borders.[11] The 1,621km border with Turkmenistan, however, was essentially unguarded as of 1997.[3]
Sources:
[1] NEC Team Accomplishments, Bureau of Export Administration NEC Cooperation Center website, http://www.nectic.bxa.
doc.gov/nec_frameset.html.
[2] NIS Representative Office Correspondence with Uzbekistani official; in "Uzbekistani Government Reviews Draft Export Control Law," NIS Export Control Observer, January 2003, CNS website, http://cns.miis.edu/nis-excon.
[3] Liam Anderson, “The Central Asian States,” Restraining the Spread of the Soviet Arsenal: NIS Nonproliferation Export Controls, Status Report, 1996.
[4] Interviews with Uzbekistani scientists and visits to nuclear research reactors, 1996 and 1997.
[5] Discussion with U.S. Government official, February 1997.
[6] Lev Aleksandrovich Fedorov, Khimicheskoye oruzhiye v Rossii: Istoriya, ekologiya, politika (Moscow: Center of Ecological Policy, 1994); in Federation of American Scientists website, http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/
russia/cbw/jptac008_194001.htm.
[7] "Nunn-Lugar to Clean up Major Soviet Chemical Weapons Site," press release from the office of Senator Richard G. Lugar, 28 May 1999, http://www.senate.gov/~lugar/990528.htm.
[8] Interview with Uzbekistani scientists, February 1997.
[9] "Fact Sheet: The United States Government Border Security Assistance Programs in Uzbekistan," U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan Website, http://www.usembassy.uz/news/00419a.htm.
[10] Remarks by U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright at Customs College, Tashkent, 19 April 2000, http://secretary.state.gov/www
/statements/2000/000419.html.
[11] "Uzbekistan: Neighbors Complain of Zealous Border Guarding," RFE/RL, http://www.rferl.org/.../F.RU.000121131443.html. {Updated 25 June 2001 KB; 13 March 2003 KB}

Export Control Legislation

Cabinet of Ministers Decree No. 287, On Measures Regarding the Further Liberalization and Improvement of Foreign Economic Activity, 25 July 1995

Decree No. 287 includes control lists.  The decree is the most recent iteration of a series of export control decrees, each of which has superceded the one preceding it.  However, the control lists for weapons and military items essentially have been repeated from one section to the next.[1]

Appendix Four: Contains the list of "specialized goods the export or import of which requires a license that has been issued by the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations (MFER), with the explicit permission of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan."  This list includes: weapons and military technology; uranium, radioactive substances, and radioactive waste; instruments and equipment which use radioactive substances.

This list is similar to the list from March 1994, with some significant differences.  In order to receive an export license from the MFER for items on this list, an exporter now must have explicit permission from the Cabinet of Ministers. In addition, chemical pesticides have been removed from the list.

Appendix Six: Contains the list of "specialized goods (works and services), the export or import of which requires the permission of authorized organs of the Republic of Uzbekistan."  This list consists of a number of items, including: professional activities of citizens of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Permission is given by the Ministry of Labor;
export of the results of scientific-technical work, know-how, and inventions.  Permission is given by the State Committee for Science and Technology.

While not necessarily drafted specifically to prevent "brain drain," this list could be used as the legal basis by which to prevent the emigration of scientists with sensitive knowledge or the export of sensitive information.

Appendix Eight: Contains the list of items that may not be transported across the territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan.  The list includes
arms, ammunition, and military equipment; aircraft, parts, instruments, and related equipment; materials and equipment that could be used in the preparation of arms, ammunition, and airplanes;
explosives; strong poisons; and any items that are forbidden from import into Uzbekistan. There is a note at the end of this appendix, which states that these items actually may transit through the territory of Uzbekistan, if explicit permission is given by the MFER and the Cabinet of Ministers.[2]

Cabinet of Ministers Decree No. 558, On Improving Foreign Economic Activity and Reorganizing the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, 17 November 1994

This decree restructured and redirected the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations (MFER) essentially to be responsible for stimulating economic development by promoting exports from the Republic of Uzbekistan.  Appendix Two states all the various Divisions and Departments in the MFER.  There are a number of divisions which are responsible for such things as "analyzing the potential for foreign economic ties," "developing export potential," and "marketing."  The Division of Regulation of Foreign Economic Activity is most likely the division which issues export licenses.  However, the decree does not specify any division as responsible for export controls.[3]

Presidential Decree No. 837, On Measures to Secure Control of Hard Currency During Export-Import Operations, 20 April 1994.

This decree approves the procedures by which hard currency export-import operations are controlled by the Uzbek State.  It is not by design a nonproliferation export control measure, but it does contain the provision that all export contracts for licensed goods be registered at the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations (MFER).[4]

Cabinet of Ministers Decree No. 163, On Measures to Regulate Foreign Trade Operations, 25 March 1994

This decree approves the procedures for setting quotas and issuing licenses for the export and import of goods, works, and services.  The decree includes a number of appendices with the customs codes for controlled items. Appendix 5 contains a list of specific goods, works, and services, which can be exported only with a license from the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations.  The list includes the following items: chemical pesticides; arms and military technology, and special products for their production; uranium and radioactive substances;
instruments and equipment which use radioactive substances;
radioactive waste and explosives.[5] This list has since been superseded by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 287, from July 1995.[6]

Cabinet of Ministers Decree No. 485, On Measures to Stimulate Foreign Economic Activity and to Attract and Protect Foreign Investment in the Republic of Uzbekistan, 21 October 1992 

This early export control decree is clearly in no way intended to establish a system to help prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Appendix One consists of a detailed list of 73 items the export of which requires licensing from the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations. The list covers everything from sugar to carpets to cotton, but does not include any military-related items.[6]

Law on Violations of Export Procedures, No. 515-XII, 14 January 1992

This introduces changes into the existing administrative and criminal codes to specify punishments for violations of the established procedures for the export of "goods, materials, raw materials, agricultural products, food products, and other material valuables from the Republic of Uzbekistan."  For an initial violation, the law updates the administrative code to provide for confiscation of the goods in question, plus a fine of "200 to 500 rubles" for ordinary citizens and "500 to 1000 rubles" for state officials. For a second violation of the same offense, the law updates the criminal code to provide for the confiscation of the goods in question, plus up to three years in prison or a fine of "10,000 to 25,000 rubles."[7]

Law on Foreign Economic Activity, No. 285-XII, 14 June 1991

This early law provides a broad legal basis for foreign economic activity in Uzbekistan and for the "integration of Uzbekistan's economy into the world economic system."  In Article 14, the law states one of the ways in which the State regulates foreign economic activity is through the establishment of procedures for the export and import of products and goods.[8]
Sources:
[1] William Potter, Richard Combs, and Emily Ewell, "Trip Report: Travel to Tashkent, Uzbekistan," February 1997.
[2] From Russian-language text of Resolution 287, provided by Uzbek MFER official.
[3] From Russian-language text of Resolution 558, provided by Uzbek specialist.
[4] From Russian-language text of Decree No. 837, provided by Uzbek specialist.
[5] From Russian-language text of Resolution 163, provided by Uzbek specialist.
[6] From Russian-language text of Resolution 485, provided by Uzbek specialist.
[7] The "rubles" referred to here are old Soviet rubles. The law does not appear to take into account a change in national currency or inflation, both of which took place subsequent to January 1992. It is not clear whether the law has since been modified, but this law was provided to CNS in 1996.
[8] From the Russian-language text of the law. {Updated 25 June 2001 KB}

Licensing Process
Before a contract involving a controlled item is signed, the exporter or production enterprise must receive a positive decision from the Cabinet of Ministers sanctioning the export.  Once a Cabinet of Ministers decision has been given, the exporter must then apply for a license from the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations (MFER).  The MFER studies the contract and makes sure that it in no way violates domestic legislation and international standards.  For example, it ensures that goods are not exported to countries on which an embargo has been placed.  If the MFER finds that all documentation is in order, it issues a one-time export license.  Licenses are good for one year.  The Deputy Minister of Foreign Economic Relations himself signs all licenses.  According to an MFER official, the licensing system is fully automated.  The MFER keeps computer databases of all licenses issued.  There is a separate mechanism for transit licenses.  Transit of certain materials through Uzbekistan requires a special permit from both the Cabinet of Ministers and the MFER.  For the transit of foreign nuclear material, the Cabinet of Ministers issues permits in consultation with the Uzbekistani State Committee for Supervision and Safety in Mining and Industry.
Despite Uzbekistan's extensive chemical industry, the MFER does not in any way license or control the export of chemicals.  However, Uzbekistan does receive guarantees from the CIS countries to which it exports certain chemicals that they will not be used for military purposes.  Chemicals are exported primarily to other CIS countries, although some are exported to China.
[Interview with Ilyor Ganiyev, Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, February 1997.]

International/Bilateral Agreements
On 26 June 1992, Uzbekistan became a signatory to the Minsk Accord on CIS Export Control Coordination.[1]  In this agreement, the States-Parties agreed to create national export control systems, coordinate their efforts to control exports of materials used in the production of weapons of mass destruction, and create uniform control lists based on existing international export control regimes.[2]  As has been the case with many multilateral agreements between CIS countries, however, very little has been done to implement this early attempt to coordinate CIS export control policy.[3]  On 9 February 1993, Uzbekistan reached an agreement with Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Tajikistan to cooperate in the control of exports of raw materials, equipment, technology, and services, which could be used in the creation of a weapon of mass destruction.[4]

Uzbekistan acceded to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and has signed and ratified both the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.[5]
Sources:
[1] Statement by the H. E. Ambassador Fatikh G. Teshabayev, Head of the Delegation of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the 1995 Review and Extension Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, 21 April 1995.
[2] Minsk Accord on CIS Export Control Coordination, Russian-language version.
[3] Sergei Ryabikin, "Representatives of CIS States Discuss Export Control Over Products Used for the Creation of Mass Destruction Weapons," RIA Novosti Hotline, 29 October 1997.
[4] Minsk Accord on CIS Export Control Coordination, Russian-language version.
[5] Tariq Rauf, James Lamson, Shawna McCartney, and Sarah Meek, Inventory of International Nonproliferation Organizations and Regimes, 1996-1997 Edition, Center for Nonproliferation Studies, Monterey Institute of International Studies, Monterey, CA. {Updated 25 June 2001 KB}

Other Agreements
U.S.-Uzbekistan Joint Commission
The U.S.-Uzbekistan Joint Commission convened for the first time from 26-27 February 1998 in Washington, D.C.  The Commission is meant to provide the two governments with a structure for maintaining regular high-level contacts.  Chaired by Ambassador-at-Large and Special Advisor to the Secretary of State for the NIS Steven Sestanovich and by Uzbekistani Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov, the Commission is divided into four Committees: Political; Military; Trade, Investment, and Energy; and Economic Reform.[1]  In addition to its intent to halt the spread of chemical and biological weapons, the Political Committee's Nonproliferation Subcommittee reiterated its commitment to the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) as the "cornerstone of the international nuclear nonproliferation regime."   The subcommittee also recognized the importance of maintaining export controls to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction and will promote U.S. Department of Defense training initiatives, including those under the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program (CTR).  In June 2001 the U.S. Department of Defense and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the first of four workshops for the Uzbekistani Ministry of the Interior and the National Security Service in countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.[3]  The Commission also promised immediate implementation of the participation of Uzbekistani scientists and research institutes in the programs of the Science and Technology Center in Ukraine (STCU).[4]
Sources: 
[1]  "US-Uzbekistan Joint Commission: Non-Proliferation," U.S. Department of State, 27 February 1998, http://www.usia.gov/products
/pdq/pdq.htm, 4 March 1998.                                                          
[2]  "Text: Statement on US-Uzbekistan Joint Commission," USIS Washington File, 27 February 1998. 
[3] Interfax, 21 June 2001; in "US instructs Interior Ministry staff in countering arms proliferation," FBIS Document CEP20010621000349.
[4] "US-Uzbekistan Joint Commission: Non-Proliferation," U.S. Department of State, 27 February 1998, http://www.usia.gov/products
/pdq/pdq.htm, 4 March 1998.{Updated 25 June 2001 KB}
Science and Technology Center Agreement
On 27 December 1997 the Republic of Uzbekistan acceded to the STCU Agreement which assists weapons scientists and engineers from participating countries of the former Soviet Union to conduct research on peaceful activities.
["US-Uzbekistan Joint Commission: Non-Proliferation," U.S. Department of State, 27 February 1998, http://www.usia.gov/products
/pdq/pdq.htm, 4 March 1998.]