U.S., Uzbekistan Sign Threat Reduction Agreement
The United States signed an agreement June 5 with Uzbekistan that, according
to Bush administration officials, will provide a “legal framework” for
a range of cooperative threat reduction and military activities.
Signed by Secretary of State Colin Powell and Uzbek Foreign Minister
Abdulaziz Kamilov in Washington, the accord is intended to facilitate three
specific projects, according to the officials. Most notably, it will allow
work on eliminating a biological weapons complex located on Vozrozhdeniye
(“Renaissance”) Island in the Aral Sea.
The island contains an extensive, well-documented Soviet-era complex,
which one official estimated contains “more than 80 buildings.” U.S. officials
plan to eliminate the complex’s facilities and to destroy residual stocks
of biological weapons, including anthrax, currently stored there.
The project has some urgency because diversion of water for agricultural
purposes has drastically lowered the Aral Sea’s water level. Some experts
warn that land bridges could soon form between the island and the mainland,
providing a conduit for animals to carry anthrax spores or other biological
agents from the island.
The agreement will also facilitate work already underway under a pre-existing
accord to dismantle a chemical weapons research facility located at Nukus.
Furthermore, the agreement will permit Uzbek participation in a Defense
Department biological material protection and control program that aims
to enhance the security of pathogen collections at research facilities.
In addition, the accord provides a legal umbrella for possible future
threat reduction cooperation, such as work between the Energy Department
and the Uzbek government on enhanced safeguards for the country’s nuclear
research reactor. This umbrella will also extend to defense and military
contacts, such as joint military exercises.
According to the official, the agreement entered into force upon signing,
superceding an existing “ministry-to-ministry agreement” between the two
countries’ defense departments. It will expire in seven years. The official
emphasized that more narrowly targeted implementing agreements must still
be negotiated for each project, although the Nukus activities can proceed
under an existing implementing agreement.
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