MOSCOW, Jan 14 (AFP) - Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov has condemned the militarisation of central Asia and the struggle for influence amongst foreign powers in the region where Russian and US bases are located, in an interview published Friday in the Russian press.
"Under the cover of the war against international terrorism, the main geostrategic players are engaged in a struggle for influence in central Asia," at the risk of losing sight of the real objectives of the fight against terrorism, Karimov said in the daily Nezavisimaya Gazeta.
"I don't understand the situation in Kyrgyzstan where two airforce bases, one American and one Russian, are separated by only 30 kilometres (20 miles). Unwillingly we are becoming hostages of the countries which have their troops" in central Asia, the Uzbek president added.
"I am categorically against a militarisation of our region," Karimov warned.
He also said that the United States must withdraw from their Uzbekistan base "as soon as the reconstruction of Afghanistan will be finished".
Uzbekistan, a former Soviet republic, is a key ally of the United States in central Asia since the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York and Washington. The country hosts an important airforce base near its border with Afghanistan.
Commenting on the ouster of the political leadership in Ukraine and Georgia, Karimov excluded the possibility of a repetition in Uzbekistan.
"I am not inclined to believe that there could be a repetition of the Ukrainian or Georgian scenario in Uzbekistan," Karimov said, adding that there was no desire for a change of government in his country on which the United States and Europe could rely.
The last legislative elections in Uzbekistan were judged not to have conformed with democratic standards set by the Organisation for the Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Karimov's regime is regularly accused of breaches of human rights including torture.
01/14/2005 15:40 GMT - AFP