February 22 - March 21, 2001

On March 9, the President of Tajikistan received visiting Iranian Minister of Defense Ali Shemkhani. During a meting the parties discussed the issues connected with the current state and prospects of military ad technical cooperation between Tajikistan and Iran.

From March 10 to March 14, a parliamentarian delegation of Tajikistan headed by the Chairman of the Majlisi Milli (upper chamber of Tajik parliament) Mahmadsaid Ubaydulloyev was on its official visit to Iran. The Chairman of the Majlisi Milli Mahmadsaid Ubaydulloyev has me the Chairman of the Majlis-e Shura-ye Islami (Iranian parliament) Mehdi Karrubi, Iranian President Said Muhammad Khatami, Foreign Minister of Iran Kamal Kharrazi and the Mayor of Tehran Murtaza Albiri.

On March 6, at a meeting of the Tajik-Kazakh inter-government commission on economic cooperation a protocol on use of water and power resources of the Naryn-Syrdaryia Cascade of Reservoirs in 2001 was signed. In this connection it was decided to prepare a quadripartite agreement and set up a commission, which will be engaged in solution of an issue of the efficient use of water of the Syrdarya River in a time of shortage of water (Asia-Plus # 11).

The Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan has made a statement concerning reports of the Russian TV on situation on the Tajik-Afghan border. On March 11-12, Russian TV reported that situation on the Tajik-Afghan border in area of the Moskovsky Frontier Detachment had allegedly deteriorated. The Tajik MFA Information Department denies this information states that these reports don't correspondent to the facts. The Tajik MFA Information Department assesses actions of authors of such reports as deliberate distortion of facts and delusion of society.

On March 13, the Minister of Defense of Tajikistan Colonel General Sherali Khayrulloyev received a delegation of the Russian Agency for Conventional Arms. During a meeting the parties discussed the current and long-term plans of military technical cooperation between Russia and Tajikistan (Asia-Plus # 11).

On March 14-19, a group of members of the CIS Inter-Parliament will be on its working trip to Tajikistan and Kirgyzstan. Th purpose of the visit is for the group to familiarize itself with the military and political situation in the Central Asian region. The group will visit the Tajik-Afghan border, Russian Motor Rifle Division 201 stationed in Tajikistan and the Batken District in Kirgyzstan (Asia-Plus # 11).

On March 13, the Deputy Prime Minister for Agriculture Qozidavlat Qoimdodov and the Deputy Prime Minister for Construction Faridun Muhiddinov met a mission of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) and International Financial Corporation (IFC) to discuss the issues of studying a concept of the GABO electric system development. The concept has been worked out by representatives of the AKFED (Asia-Plus # 11).

During the last month 8 HIV-infected were revealed in the northern Tajik city of Kayrakum. The first two HIV-infected were reveled at the investigation isolator of the Kayrakum city. Then, it was decided to continue operation on revealing HIV-infected and for this purpose all suspects were examined and six more HIV-infected were revealed. For more precise examination it was decided to send their blood tests to Moscow or Almaty (News Agency "Varorud").

By year 2005, the Sughd Region (northern Tajikistan) plans to process all the cotton harvest independently. In the current year, the local authorities of the Sughd Region plan to attract foreign investments in an amount of US $ 50 million to the region (News Agency "Varorud").

Operation on moving young families from the Gorno Badakhshan to the Kabadiyan and Beshkent Districts of the Khatlon Region has started. Saturday night, March 10, under the government's resolution "On voluntary migration of residents of the GBAO to the Kabadiyon and Beshkent Districts of the Khatlon Region" a convoy with 50 young families from Rushan, Shugnan and Khorog of the Gorno Badakhshan arrived in Kulyab (Asia-Plus # 11).

Cattle in some jamoats (village communities) of the Isfara District have been taken ill with foot-and-mouth disease. To prevent the spread of the disease to parts of the District the Chairman of Isfara has passed a resolution on limiting realization of meat and milk products at the markets of the district (News Agency "Varorud").

On March 13, the Russian border guards seized 180 kilograms of heroin in the are of the Moskovsky Frontier Detachment. AS a result of the skirmish between the border guards and the violators 10 violators were killed. There are no casualties among the Russian border guards. Since the beginning of year 2001, the Russian border guards have seized totally about 750 kilograms of drugs, including more than 40 kilograms of heroin (Asia-Plus # 11).

Arms cache has been discovered in a basement of uncompleted building. When checking the basement of uncompleted nine-story building in one of microrayons of Kulyab the police have discovered an arms cache. 2 grenade launchers RPG-262, 6 shells of the grenade launcher, 5 grenades RGD-5, 2 grenades F-1, 1 signal pistol and 27 bullets of the sub-machine-gun "Kalashnikov" have been stored in the cache (Asia-Plus # 11).

RESHUFFLE EXPECTED IN KHATLON
Asia-Plus # 11 informs that for the first 25 days of his work as Chairman of the Khatlon Region Amirsho Miraliyev has familiarized himself with political, social and economic life of the region. After his meetings with heads of the regional hukumat departments and chairmen of the cities and districts of the region Amirsho Miraliyev has stated that a work of unqualified staff is the main reason for economic backwards of the Khatlon Region. The newspaper writes that it is unknown yet who will be relieved of his post and who will be appointed to a new post, but as it has become known, the newly appointed chairman of the region is not going to work with polygamists and will take strict measures against the regional officials, which abusing their powers have constructed splendid houses. But so far, an aluminum portrait of Lenin has been taken down from the building of the Regional Hukumat and one of these days, the City Department of Communist Party for Kurgan Teppa and the regional Department of the People's Democratic Party for Khatlon will go down from this building.

WHEN HAS BEEN JUMABOY NAMANGANI TO TAVILDARA?
The official paper of the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan "Najot" # 11 notes that lately, the Tavildara District (eastern Tajikistan)is associated with a military settlement, where al residents are armed and making preparations for conducting military actions. The newspaper considers it to be a result of information war conducted by foreign mass media against Tajikistan. The Chairman of the Tavildara District Rajabboy Norkallayev said in his interview with the newspaper that the situation in the district was calm and people were engaged in peaceful labor. R. Norkallayev stated that under the pretext of presence of Juma Namangani in the district the Uzbek bomber had flown into the Tavildara District. According to him these flights have been aimed at putting pressure on the residents of Tavildara. Rajabboy Norkallayev said that indeed earlier, Juma Namangani had been to Tavildara for a certain time, but then he had left the District by demand of the government. But he didn't specified when these events had been going on.

TAJIKISTAN - TRAINING GROUND FOR WAR OR DEATH?
"Najot" # 11 informs that on February 22, two persons were blown by a mine in the Qosimobod village, near the training ground of Lohur in the Leninsky District. According to the paper it is not the first case of casualties among the population as a result of mine explosion. According to the paper for last several years a number of victims having been blown up by mines in Lohur amounted to 13 person. "Najot" informs that at present, military exercises of Russian Motor Rifle Division 201, Tajik Defense Ministry and Presidential Guard are held at the Lohur ground. Nobody clears unexploded mines after the exercise and it causes among the population. The local population use the ground for pasturing their cattle. The newspaper asks why is not the ground carried to the more remote and safer place?

TAJIK BUDDHA MAY SLEEP COMFORTABLY
Asia-Plus # 11 informs that at present an attention of the whole world is attracted to Afghanistan, where the Taliban are destroying all statues and non-Islamic shrines in the country. The newspaper informs that they have destroyed two statues of Buddha in the Bamiyan province of the country. At the same time, the paper informs that that their 20-meter [as said] "colleague" is situated in Dushanbe and in April, the whole world will be able to see it. The Tajik Buddha was discovered during excavation in Ajina Teppa in 1966, close to Kurgan Teppa in the Khatlon Region of the country. When excavating the Buddhist monastery archeologists have discovered hundreds of statuettes of Buddha of different sizes. The "sleeping" 20-meter Buddha was restored completely only in 1996 with support of ACTED. An opening of the Antiquities Museum of Tajikistan is scheduled for September of the current year. The "Buddha in nirvana" will occupy one of the main places of the exposition.

MAHMUD KHUDOIBERDYYEV IS MAKING PREPARATIONS FOR ATTACKING TAJIKISTAN?
Asia-Plus # 10 citing the Russian newspaper "Izbestiya" informs that a training camp of Colonel Mahmud Khudoiberdyyev is located in the environs of the Kazakh city of Taraz (former Jambul). According to the Russian newspaper Colonel Mahmud Khudoiberdyyev is making preparations for conducting military actions in northern Tajikistan simultaneously with military actions of the Juma Namangani's militants in Kirgyzstan and Uzbekistan, which are forecasted for the forthcoming spring.