By Nick Megoran

Border disputes have recently taken on renewed importance, threatening political crisis in the UK, US and EU. Yet 2018 saw positive steps towards resolving some of the world’s most difficult border conflicts, between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan and Ethiopia and Eritrea. What lessons can be drawn from these examples?

International boundaries are not the same as international borders. Boundaries are invisible vertical planes extending upwards into airspace and downwards into the subsoil, marking the legal limit of states. Borders, on the other hand, are the practices associated with managing movement over boundaries, such as customs checkpoints, passport controls, and fences. Although literally at the edge of states, they can symbolically figure at the heart of a nation’s politics.

This was amply demonstrated in 2018. In the UK, the “Irish backstop” question plunged the country into an unprecedented political crisis. In the Mediterranean, meanwhile, over 2,200 migrants died attempting to evade the EU’s draconian border controls. At the same time, political gains have been made by parties of the right who regard the EU’s border-control policies as not draconian enough.

Across the Atlantic, meanwhile, US President Donald Trump’s tub-thumping over a “caravan” of Central American migrants supposedly threatening the US border made 2017’s hotly-contested midterm elections even uglier. Tussles with lawmakers over funding a border wall with Mexico have now led to a government shutdown.

All this is a long way away from the “borderless world” that 1990s globalisation theorists such as Kenichi Ohmae predicted would follow the end of the Cold War. Instead, we are seeing a “rebordering” of the world, the physical and symbolic reinforcement of what historian Timothy Synder has called “the wall around the West”.

But the Western perspective isn’t the only one. Indeed, 2018 saw a number of hopeful and instructive developments in Asia and Africa.

Central Asia

Created in the 1920s by the Soviet Union, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan became independent states in 1991. Their mutual boundary was an internal division within the Soviet Union, and was never intended to be an international boundary. Consequently, when the two states became independent, there were numerous disputes about its precise course. Villages, ethnic groups, families, farms, transport links and utility provision crisscrossed the borderlands.

Nonetheless, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the authoritarian president of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, imposed unilateral border controls. Visas were demanded, crossborder bridges demolished, roads blocked, and bus routes terminated. Villages that straddled the boundary were demolished and residents forcibly moved elsewhere. Barbed wire fences were erected, unmarked mine fields laid, and soldiers deployed to the border frequently used violence on petty traders and other borderlanders. A boundary commission was established, but its work stalled as relations between the two states deteriorated.

Populists in Kyrgyzstan reacted furiously, alleging that Uzbekistan was invading them. Inter-ethnic dynamics within Kyrgyzstan worsened, culminating in 2010 with pogroms against the country’s Uzbek minority.

Karimov died in 2016 and was succeeded by his protege, Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Mirziyoyev prioritised rebuilding regional relations, kick-starting delimitation negotiations and in late 2017 unilaterally reopened many border crossings.

In 2018, I visited the border and saw crowds of people crossing for trade and to visit family members, many of whom they had not seen for a decade and a half. Ethnic and interstate relations have improved as a result.

Ethiopia-Eritrea

An even more striking example from 2018 was the ending of the Ethiopian-Eritrean border conflict. As with Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, this boundary was a colonial legacy that artificially divided populations – and between 1998 and 2000, the two countries fought a bitter border war during which some 70,000 people died. The disputed territories were relatively small and of little economic value, but became heavily politicised by the militaristic governments of both countries.

The Eritrea–Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC) was established under a 2000 peace agreement to end the war. It rendered its decision in 2002 and planned to oversee demarcation in 2003. Although previously agreeing that the ruling would be binding, Ethiopia took the highly unusual position of refusing to accept it. Despite pressure from the UN Security Council, troops continued to occupy disputed territory, refugees remained in camps, and crossborder contact was minimal. The threat of renewed war continued.

But in April 2018, the relatively youthful Abiy Ahmed took over as Ethiopian prime minister. He moved rapidly to improve relations with Eritrea, accepting the EEBC ruling and pulling troops back from disputed areas. A mere three months after taking office, he signed a peace accord with his Eritrean counterpart, formally ending the war. This was accompanied by joyful scenes of families reunited after two decades.

How to make good borders

Good borders are not about technical lines on a map, but political will. Changes in leadership in Uzbekistan and Ethiopia were crucial in restarting boundary delimitation and border management processes that had become deadlocked. As a result, families have been reunited, ethnic tensions reduced, and trade opportunities increased.

There are broader lessons here. The impasses created by the Irish border question in the Brexit negotiations and Trump’s border wall have created a political crisis, poisoned politics, and fanned xenophobia. More migrants die each year because of the EU’s militarised border controls than at any other border on Earth. These outcomes are not inevitable; they are political choices.

The EU, UK and US like to see themselves as moral standard-bearers in the international community. When it comes to border politics, however, they could do a lot worse than look to Uzbekistan and Ethiopia in 2019.

(Nick Megoran is Reader in Political Geography, Newcastle University)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/need-to-solve-a-border-dispute-look-to-ethiopia-and-uzbekistan-109149">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

 
&nbsp;

By Nick Megoran Border disputes have recently taken on renewed importance, threatening political crisis in the UK, US and EU. Yet 2018 saw positive steps towards resolving some of the world’s most difficult border conflicts, between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan and Ethiopia and Eritrea.

By Nick Megoran Border disputes have recently taken on renewed importance, threatening political crisis in the UK, US and EU. Yet 2018 saw positive steps towards resolving some of the world’s most difficult border conflicts, between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan and Ethiopia and Eritrea. What lessons can be drawn from these examples? International boundaries are not the same as international borders. Boundaries are invisible vertical planes extending upwards into airspace and downwards into the subsoil, marking the legal limit of states. Borders, on the other hand, are the practices associated with managing movement over boundaries, such as customs checkpoints, passport controls, and fences. Although literally at the edge of states, they can symbolically figure at the heart of a nation’s politics. This was amply demonstrated in 2018. In the UK, the “Irish backstop” question plunged the country into an unprecedented political crisis. In the Mediterranean, meanwhile, over 2,200 migrants died attempting to evade the EU’s draconian border controls. At the same time, political gains have been made by parties of the right who regard the EU’s border-control policies as not draconian enough. Across the Atlantic, meanwhile, US President Donald Trump’s tub-thumping over a “caravan” of Central American migrants supposedly threatening the US border made 2017’s hotly-contested midterm elections even uglier. Tussles with lawmakers over funding a border wall with Mexico have now led to a government shutdown. All this is a long way away from the “borderless world” that 1990s globalisation theorists such as Kenichi Ohmae predicted would follow the end of the Cold War. Instead, we are seeing a “rebordering” of the world, the physical and symbolic reinforcement of what historian Timothy Synder has called “the wall around the West”. But the Western perspective isn’t the only one. Indeed, 2018 saw a number of hopeful and instructive developments in Asia and Africa. Central Asia Created in the 1920s by the Soviet Union, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan became independent states in 1991. Their mutual boundary was an internal division within the Soviet Union, and was never intended to be an international boundary. Consequently, when the two states became independent, there were numerous disputes about its precise course. Villages, ethnic groups, families, farms, transport links and utility provision crisscrossed the borderlands. Nonetheless, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the authoritarian president of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, imposed unilateral border controls. Visas were demanded, crossborder bridges demolished, roads blocked, and bus routes terminated. Villages that straddled the boundary were demolished and residents forcibly moved elsewhere. Barbed wire fences were erected, unmarked mine fields laid, and soldiers deployed to the border frequently used violence on petty traders and other borderlanders. A boundary commission was established, but its work stalled as relations between the two states deteriorated. Populists in Kyrgyzstan reacted furiously, alleging that Uzbekistan was invading them. Inter-ethnic dynamics within Kyrgyzstan worsened, culminating in 2010 with pogroms against the country’s Uzbek minority. Karimov died in 2016 and was succeeded by his protege, Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Mirziyoyev prioritised rebuilding regional relations, kick-starting delimitation negotiations and in late 2017 unilaterally reopened many border crossings. In 2018, I visited the border and saw crowds of people crossing for trade and to visit family members, many of whom they had not seen for a decade and a half. Ethnic and interstate relations have improved as a result. Ethiopia-Eritrea An even more striking example from 2018 was the ending of the Ethiopian-Eritrean border conflict. As with Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, this boundary was a colonial legacy that artificially divided populations – and between 1998 and 2000, the two countries fought a bitter border war during which some 70,000 people died. The disputed territories were relatively small and of little economic value, but became heavily politicised by the militaristic governments of both countries. The Eritrea–Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC) was established under a 2000 peace agreement to end the war. It rendered its decision in 2002 and planned to oversee demarcation in 2003. Although previously agreeing that the ruling would be binding, Ethiopia took the highly unusual position of refusing to accept it. Despite pressure from the UN Security Council, troops continued to occupy disputed territory, refugees remained in camps, and crossborder contact was minimal. The threat of renewed war continued. But in April 2018, the relatively youthful Abiy Ahmed took over as Ethiopian prime minister. He moved rapidly to improve relations with Eritrea, accepting the EEBC ruling and pulling troops back from disputed areas. A mere three months after taking office, he signed a peace accord with his Eritrean counterpart, formally ending the war. This was accompanied by joyful scenes of families reunited after two decades. How to make good borders Good borders are not about technical lines on a map, but political will. Changes in leadership in Uzbekistan and Ethiopia were crucial in restarting boundary delimitation and border management processes that had become deadlocked. As a result, families have been reunited, ethnic tensions reduced, and trade opportunities increased. There are broader lessons here. The impasses created by the Irish border question in the Brexit negotiations and Trump’s border wall have created a political crisis, poisoned politics, and fanned xenophobia. More migrants die each year because of the EU’s militarised border controls than at any other border on Earth. These outcomes are not inevitable; they are political choices. The EU, UK and US like to see themselves as moral standard-bearers in the international community. When it comes to border politics, however, they could do a lot worse than look to Uzbekistan and Ethiopia in 2019. (Nick Megoran is Reader in Political Geography, Newcastle University) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Need to solve a border dispute? Look to Ethiopia and Uzbekistan

In September 2018 Uzbek blogger Davronbek Tojialiyev quietly packed some clothes in a bag and waited for a seemingly imminent arrest, following the detention of several other online activists.

But police have never come for him and the bespectacled 34-year-old writes on about sensitive issues in breaks between his work as translator, one of a handful of bloggers breaking long-time taboos by criticising state policies and officials.

The detentions in September were an apparent slap on the wrist for those who had, in the authorities' eyes, gone too far. However, it is unlikely to stop people like Davronbek from pushing the boundaries.

Publicly criticising the Tashkent government was something unthinkable for its 32 million citizens under Islam Karimov, who had run the mostly Muslim former Soviet republic from 1989 until his death in 2016, brooking no dissent.

"During Karimov's time bloggers could write only about small issues, mostly social, it was not possible to talk about serious and political subjects," says Tojialiyev.

Karimov's successor, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, has proclaimed a new era of openness, moved to curb the powers of the feared security forces, and launched a website through which citizens could raise their grievances.

This has helped Tashkent improve its image abroad and start working on attracting badly-needed foreign investment. It also encouraged bloggers to abandon self-censorship and question policies they saw as excessively strict and unnecessary.

Success has encouraged bloggers to become more assertive. So when the government published a draft of school uniform regulations in June, some criticised it for disallowing hijabs, headscarves worn by Muslim girls and women.

Some online activists, including Tojialiyev, strongly criticised the proposed regulations, demanding that female students be allowed to wear hijabs.

Several prominent bloggers attacked the regulations some even called for protests. They were later joined by an imam of one of Tashkent's mosques who urged Mirziyoyev to intervene.

The pushback was swift: police arrested several bloggers and the activist imam was dismissed. One of the bloggers, Adham Olimov, told Reuters a court had sentenced him to 15 days of administrative arrest on charges of disobeying police orders - which he denies.

But while Tojialiyev's optimism has waned, his determination has not.

Tojialiyev says many bloggers have since stopped writing about sensitive issues and friends have asked him to do the same, but he has not experienced any pressure or intimidation from the authorities.

In September 2018 Uzbek blogger Davronbek Tojialiyev quietly packed some clothes in a bag and waited for a seemingly imminent arrest, following the detention of several other online activists.

In September 2018 Uzbek blogger Davronbek Tojialiyev quietly packed some clothes in a bag and waited for a seemingly imminent arrest, following the detention of several other online activists. But police have never come for him and the bespectacled 34-year-old writes on about sensitive issues in breaks between his work as translator, one of a handful of bloggers breaking long-time taboos by criticising state policies and officials. The detentions in September were an apparent slap on the wrist for those who had, in the authorities' eyes, gone too far. However, it is unlikely to stop people like Davronbek from pushing the boundaries. Publicly criticising the Tashkent government was something unthinkable for its 32 million citizens under Islam Karimov, who had run the mostly Muslim former Soviet republic from 1989 until his death in 2016, brooking no dissent. "During Karimov's time bloggers could write only about small issues, mostly social, it was not possible to talk about serious and political subjects," says Tojialiyev. Karimov's successor, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, has proclaimed a new era of openness, moved to curb the powers of the feared security forces, and launched a website through which citizens could raise their grievances. This has helped Tashkent improve its image abroad and start working on attracting badly-needed foreign investment. It also encouraged bloggers to abandon self-censorship and question policies they saw as excessively strict and unnecessary. Success has encouraged bloggers to become more assertive. So when the government published a draft of school uniform regulations in June, some criticised it for disallowing hijabs, headscarves worn by Muslim girls and women. Some online activists, including Tojialiyev, strongly criticised the proposed regulations, demanding that female students be allowed to wear hijabs. Several prominent bloggers attacked the regulations some even called for protests. They were later joined by an imam of one of Tashkent's mosques who urged Mirziyoyev to intervene. The pushback was swift: police arrested several bloggers and the activist imam was dismissed. One of the bloggers, Adham Olimov, told Reuters a court had sentenced him to 15 days of administrative arrest on charges of disobeying police orders - which he denies. But while Tojialiyev's optimism has waned, his determination has not. Tojialiyev says many bloggers have since stopped writing about sensitive issues and friends have asked him to do the same, but he has not experienced any pressure or intimidation from the authorities.

Uzbek bloggers test - and find - limits of newly-found freedom

Russia and Uzbekistan on Friday hailed the construction of an $11 billion nuclear power plant that should help solve an energy deficit in the Central Asian country while binding it tighter to Moscow politically.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was paying a first state visit to Uzbek counterpart Shavkat Mirziyoyev since Mirziyoyev replaced the late Islam Karimov, who ruled for nearly three decades before his death in 2016.&nbsp;

During the visit the two countries signed deals worth $27.1 billion, according to the Uzbek economy ministry.&nbsp;

"Uzbekistan is our loyal ally and our strategic partner... We will do all we can to strengthen our cooperation," Putin said while meeting Uzbek counterpart Shavkat Mirziyoyev in the capital Tashkent.

"Dear Russian friends, welcome to Uzbekistan!" read billboards along the main roads of Tashkent where Russian and Uzbek flags flew side by side.&nbsp;

The nuclear power plant, set to be completed by 2028, has strategic significance for Moscow which is looking to reassert its economic and political clout in Central Asia amid fierce competition from China and other players.&nbsp;

According to the Russian Rosatom nuclear energy agency overseeing the project the plant's output should account for a fifth of Uzbekistan's overall power generation. &nbsp;

Putin suggested on Friday that the facility -- the first of its kind in ex-Soviet Central Asia -- might also help provide power to other countries in the region where the Chernobyl disaster and Soviet-era atomic weapons testing in the Kazakh steppe have coloured attitudes towards nuclear power.&nbsp;

Authoritarian regime intact

Addressing the two leaders via tele-link from the western region of Navoi where the plant is set to be built, Rosatom chief Alexey Likhachev assured Uzbekistan that the plant would be built in strict accordance with international standards. &nbsp;

"The main criteria here is safety," Likhachev said at a ceremony marking the start of the project.&nbsp;

Bilateral trade between Russia and Uzbekistan jumped by more than a third year-on-year to $3.7 billion in 2017 as Uzbekistan shakes off nearly three decades of economic isolation under Karimov's rule.

Karimov, who died in 2016, maintained generally good relations with Moscow but was wary of the Kremlin's influence over Uzbekistan and the Central Asian region.

Mirziyoyev, who served as Karimov's prime minister for 13 years, has kept the authoritarian regime intact while also reversing some of his predecessor's most controversial policies.

Putin on Friday paid tribute to reforms launched by Mirziyoyev that have whetted the appetites of foreign investors eyeing new markets in a commodity-rich country of around 33 million people.&nbsp;

"We see how quickly and how fundamentally the situation in Uzbekistan is changing, how reforms are being organised and carried out," Putin said.&nbsp;

Under Mirziyoyev, the government has overhauled its foreign exchange policies, pledged to modernise its banking system and re-launched ties with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development that were effectively severed more than a decade ago.

Among the other economic agreements signed at a business forum running parallel to the two leaders' talks was a memorandum of understanding between Russia's Lukoil energy major and Uzbek state energy company Uzbekneftgaz.&nbsp;

Security was also high on the agenda during talks between the two heads of state. &nbsp;

Under Mirziyoyev, Uzbekistan has declared its readiness to host talks between the Taliban and the government of Afghanistan, with whom Uzbekistan shares a border.

"It is in our common interest to normalise the situation in Afghanistan," Putin said, backing the initiative.

Russia and Uzbekistan on Friday hailed the construction of an $11 billion nuclear power plant that should help solve an energy deficit in the Central Asian country while binding it tighter to Moscow politically.

Russia and Uzbekistan on Friday hailed the construction of an $11 billion nuclear power plant that should help solve an energy deficit in the Central Asian country while binding it tighter to Moscow politically. Russian President Vladimir Putin was paying a first state visit to Uzbek counterpart Shavkat Mirziyoyev since Mirziyoyev replaced the late Islam Karimov, who ruled for nearly three decades before his death in 2016. During the visit the two countries signed deals worth $27.1 billion, according to the Uzbek economy ministry. "Uzbekistan is our loyal ally and our strategic partner... We will do all we can to strengthen our cooperation," Putin said while meeting Uzbek counterpart Shavkat Mirziyoyev in the capital Tashkent. "Dear Russian friends, welcome to Uzbekistan!" read billboards along the main roads of Tashkent where Russian and Uzbek flags flew side by side. The nuclear power plant, set to be completed by 2028, has strategic significance for Moscow which is looking to reassert its economic and political clout in Central Asia amid fierce competition from China and other players. According to the Russian Rosatom nuclear energy agency overseeing the project the plant's output should account for a fifth of Uzbekistan's overall power generation. Putin suggested on Friday that the facility -- the first of its kind in ex-Soviet Central Asia -- might also help provide power to other countries in the region where the Chernobyl disaster and Soviet-era atomic weapons testing in the Kazakh steppe have coloured attitudes towards nuclear power. Authoritarian regime intact Addressing the two leaders via tele-link from the western region of Navoi where the plant is set to be built, Rosatom chief Alexey Likhachev assured Uzbekistan that the plant would be built in strict accordance with international standards. "The main criteria here is safety," Likhachev said at a ceremony marking the start of the project. Bilateral trade between Russia and Uzbekistan jumped by more than a third year-on-year to $3.7 billion in 2017 as Uzbekistan shakes off nearly three decades of economic isolation under Karimov's rule. Karimov, who died in 2016, maintained generally good relations with Moscow but was wary of the Kremlin's influence over Uzbekistan and the Central Asian region. Mirziyoyev, who served as Karimov's prime minister for 13 years, has kept the authoritarian regime intact while also reversing some of his predecessor's most controversial policies. Putin on Friday paid tribute to reforms launched by Mirziyoyev that have whetted the appetites of foreign investors eyeing new markets in a commodity-rich country of around 33 million people. "We see how quickly and how fundamentally the situation in Uzbekistan is changing, how reforms are being organised and carried out," Putin said. Under Mirziyoyev, the government has overhauled its foreign exchange policies, pledged to modernise its banking system and re-launched ties with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development that were effectively severed more than a decade ago. Among the other economic agreements signed at a business forum running parallel to the two leaders' talks was a memorandum of understanding between Russia's Lukoil energy major and Uzbek state energy company Uzbekneftgaz. Security was also high on the agenda during talks between the two heads of state. Under Mirziyoyev, Uzbekistan has declared its readiness to host talks between the Taliban and the government of Afghanistan, with whom Uzbekistan shares a border. "It is in our common interest to normalise the situation in Afghanistan," Putin said, backing the initiative.

Russia, Uzbekistan hail $11 billion nuclear plant project during Putin visit

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved agreements between India and Uzbekistan for cooperation in various sectors, including tourism, pharmaceuticals and trade.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was approved for cooperation in the sphere of law and justice between the two countries.

The MoU takes care of concerns and requirements in the field of exchange of experience by legal professionals, government functionaries and their training and effective legal aid mechanism for resolution.

The agreement is expected to facilitate greater cooperation between India and Uzbekistan in providing legal services in both countries in the field of exchange of experience through information sharing visits, and training between both countries on enhancing legal capacities of government functionaries.

Another MoU was approved by the Cabinet for strengthening cooperation in the field of tourism, which is expected to be signed during the Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev`s visit to India on October 1.

The signing of the MoU in the field of tourism will help the two countries in creating an institutional mechanism for enhancing cooperation in the tourism sector.

It will also help in increasing foreign tourist arrivals from Uzbekistan to the country.

This, in turn, will result in economic development and employment generation.

The agreement shall create favourable conditions for long-term tourism cooperation for the mutual benefits of all stakeholders within the broader framework and areas of cooperation.

In addition, the MoU shall explore to incorporate the best practices to implement the measures that will realise the objectives set out in it.

Furthermore, the Cabinet approved a MoU between the two countries for the establishment of an Uzbek-Indian Free Pharmaceutical Zone in the Andijan Region of Uzbekistan, which will also be signed during Mirziyoyev`s visit to India.

The MoU will create an enabling framework of cooperation for setting up an Uzbek-Indian Free Pharmaceuticals Zone in Andijan region of Uzbekistan.

It will also facilitate Indian pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies to invest and establish production facilities in the Uzbek-Indian Free Pharma Zone of Andijan for the manufacture of pharmaceutical products.

The Cabinet also approved the signing of a MoU between India and Uzbekistan for increased cooperation in the areas of trade, industry and research and development of pharmaceutical products.

In view of the importance of the growth of the pharmaceutical industry in both countries and importance of mutual cooperation in trade, production, research and development in the pharmaceutical sector, both the governments have been trying to establish a formal mechanism of bilateral cooperation.

The MoU will explore the possibilities of production of medicines, including Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) in different therapeutic segments in both countries.

It will facilitate the exchange of information on trade and registration procedures, legal and regulatory requirements for export and import of pharmaceuticals products, including APIs.

Another MoU was approved for mutual cooperation in combating illicit trafficking in narcotics, drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors, and is expected to help in mutual cooperation in the regulation of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and in combating drug trafficking.

It is an effective framework to deal with all issues requiring mutual assistance and cooperation in the areas identified.

The Cabinet also approved the signing of an agreement between India and Uzbekistan on cooperation in health and medical science.

It covers the following areas of cooperation - expanding opportunities for the development of business cooperation in the field of medical equipment, including equipment for teaching and research laboratories of institutions of medical education, and pharmaceutical products, strengthening of primary health care and setting up of healthcare facilities, medical and health research development, as well as exchange of experience in these areas, among others.

A working group will be set up to further elaborate the details of cooperation and to oversee the implementation of the agreement.

In the field of agriculture and allied sectors, a MoU was approved for cooperation in the exchange of information regarding laws, standards and product samples of mutual interest, establishment of joint agriculture clusters in Uzbekistan, exchange of experience in the field of crop production and their diversification, exchange of experience in the field of seed production based on modern technology, and application of technology for enhanced water use efficiency in agriculture and allied sectors, including irrigation, conduct of joint scientific research on genetics, breeding, biotechnology, plant protection and soil productivity conservation, among others.

The agreement provides for the constitution of a joint working group comprising representatives from both countries, the task of which would be to prepare plans of cooperation, provide solutions to the problems arising during the implementation of the agreement and to monitor the implementation of tasks determined by the parties.

The meetings of the working group shall take place at least every two years, alternately in India and in Uzbekistan.

The agreement shall enter into force on the date of its signing and shall remain in force for a period of five years, is automatically extended for a subsequent period of five years.

The agreement shall be terminated after six months from the date of receipt of notification of either party of its intention to terminate.

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved agreements between India and Uzbekistan for cooperation in various sectors, including tourism, pharmaceuticals and trade.

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved agreements between India and Uzbekistan for cooperation in various sectors, including tourism, pharmaceuticals and trade. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was approved for cooperation in the sphere of law and justice between the two countries. The MoU takes care of concerns and requirements in the field of exchange of experience by legal professionals, government functionaries and their training and effective legal aid mechanism for resolution. The agreement is expected to facilitate greater cooperation between India and Uzbekistan in providing legal services in both countries in the field of exchange of experience through information sharing visits, and training between both countries on enhancing legal capacities of government functionaries. Another MoU was approved by the Cabinet for strengthening cooperation in the field of tourism, which is expected to be signed during the Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev`s visit to India on October 1. The signing of the MoU in the field of tourism will help the two countries in creating an institutional mechanism for enhancing cooperation in the tourism sector. It will also help in increasing foreign tourist arrivals from Uzbekistan to the country. This, in turn, will result in economic development and employment generation. The agreement shall create favourable conditions for long-term tourism cooperation for the mutual benefits of all stakeholders within the broader framework and areas of cooperation. In addition, the MoU shall explore to incorporate the best practices to implement the measures that will realise the objectives set out in it. Furthermore, the Cabinet approved a MoU between the two countries for the establishment of an Uzbek-Indian Free Pharmaceutical Zone in the Andijan Region of Uzbekistan, which will also be signed during Mirziyoyev`s visit to India. The MoU will create an enabling framework of cooperation for setting up an Uzbek-Indian Free Pharmaceuticals Zone in Andijan region of Uzbekistan. It will also facilitate Indian pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies to invest and establish production facilities in the Uzbek-Indian Free Pharma Zone of Andijan for the manufacture of pharmaceutical products. The Cabinet also approved the signing of a MoU between India and Uzbekistan for increased cooperation in the areas of trade, industry and research and development of pharmaceutical products. In view of the importance of the growth of the pharmaceutical industry in both countries and importance of mutual cooperation in trade, production, research and development in the pharmaceutical sector, both the governments have been trying to establish a formal mechanism of bilateral cooperation. The MoU will explore the possibilities of production of medicines, including Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) in different therapeutic segments in both countries. It will facilitate the exchange of information on trade and registration procedures, legal and regulatory requirements for export and import of pharmaceuticals products, including APIs. Another MoU was approved for mutual cooperation in combating illicit trafficking in narcotics, drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors, and is expected to help in mutual cooperation in the regulation of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and in combating drug trafficking. It is an effective framework to deal with all issues requiring mutual assistance and cooperation in the areas identified. The Cabinet also approved the signing of an agreement between India and Uzbekistan on cooperation in health and medical science. It covers the following areas of cooperation - expanding opportunities for the development of business cooperation in the field of medical equipment, including equipment for teaching and research laboratories of institutions of medical education, and pharmaceutical products, strengthening of primary health care and setting up of healthcare facilities, medical and health research development, as well as exchange of experience in these areas, among others. A working group will be set up to further elaborate the details of cooperation and to oversee the implementation of the agreement. In the field of agriculture and allied sectors, a MoU was approved for cooperation in the exchange of information regarding laws, standards and product samples of mutual interest, establishment of joint agriculture clusters in Uzbekistan, exchange of experience in the field of crop production and their diversification, exchange of experience in the field of seed production based on modern technology, and application of technology for enhanced water use efficiency in agriculture and allied sectors, including irrigation, conduct of joint scientific research on genetics, breeding, biotechnology, plant protection and soil productivity conservation, among others. The agreement provides for the constitution of a joint working group comprising representatives from both countries, the task of which would be to prepare plans of cooperation, provide solutions to the problems arising during the implementation of the agreement and to monitor the implementation of tasks determined by the parties. The meetings of the working group shall take place at least every two years, alternately in India and in Uzbekistan. The agreement shall enter into force on the date of its signing and shall remain in force for a period of five years, is automatically extended for a subsequent period of five years. The agreement shall be terminated after six months from the date of receipt of notification of either party of its intention to terminate.

Cabinet approves India-Uzbekistan MoUs in tourism, trade

Special envoy of Uzbekistan President, Ilhom Nematov, on Tuesday said that Tashkent is always ready to assist and provide everything to New Delhi with regard to former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.&nbsp;

"India is always helpful. It is an important partner for us. Uzbekistan is ready to provide everything for India," Nematov told ANI in response to a question on whether Uzbekistan will provide information to India with regard to the death of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.&nbsp;

Shastri died in Tashkent, which was then part of erstwhile Soviet Union, in the early hours of January 11, 1966, after signing the Tashkent Accord with Pakistan President Mohammad Ayub Khan on January 10, 1966. He reportedly died of heart attack, but there have been various theories on how the former Prime Minister passed away. Some even suspect he died of poisoning. With the mystery surrounding Shastri's death, there have been demands for declassifying documents related to his demise.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, ahead of the Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's state visit to India, the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Delhi, in cooperation with National Association of Electronic Mass Media of Uzbekistan, organised a series of cultural events dedicated to showcasing the shared legacy and deep cultural ties of the people of India and Uzbekistan.&nbsp;

The Uzbek exhibition features collections from the Rampur Raza Library, the National Museum of India, the Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library and will be displayed at the National Museum of India from September 25 until October 26. The exhibition is accompanied by conference of scholars, a presentation of books to universities and cultural organisations of India and other special events at the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Delhi.&nbsp;

A series of similar presentations will be held at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jamia Millia Islamia and Islamic Cultural Centre of India. The first of these events was held on January 20 at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial, where the Shastri Museum, was gifted a unique collection of books. Illustrated in 10 volumes, the collection of books depicts the vibrant legacy of the Republic of Uzbekistan that is highlighted in art collections from all over the world.&nbsp;

Admired by several generations of Uzbeks, Shastri is remembered fondly for the historic declaration of 1966 between India and Pakistan, which he signed in Tashkent, shortly before his death. The Lal Bahadur Shastri Centre for Indian Culture, which works under the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), was established in Tashkent in 1995 and has been a household name in Uzbekistan for its cultural activities.

Special envoy of Uzbekistan President, Ilhom Nematov, on Tuesday said that Tashkent is always ready to assist and provide everything to New Delhi with regard to former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.

Special envoy of Uzbekistan President, Ilhom Nematov, on Tuesday said that Tashkent is always ready to assist and provide everything to New Delhi with regard to former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. "India is always helpful. It is an important partner for us. Uzbekistan is ready to provide everything for India," Nematov told ANI in response to a question on whether Uzbekistan will provide information to India with regard to the death of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. Shastri died in Tashkent, which was then part of erstwhile Soviet Union, in the early hours of January 11, 1966, after signing the Tashkent Accord with Pakistan President Mohammad Ayub Khan on January 10, 1966. He reportedly died of heart attack, but there have been various theories on how the former Prime Minister passed away. Some even suspect he died of poisoning. With the mystery surrounding Shastri's death, there have been demands for declassifying documents related to his demise. Meanwhile, ahead of the Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's state visit to India, the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Delhi, in cooperation with National Association of Electronic Mass Media of Uzbekistan, organised a series of cultural events dedicated to showcasing the shared legacy and deep cultural ties of the people of India and Uzbekistan. The Uzbek exhibition features collections from the Rampur Raza Library, the National Museum of India, the Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library and will be displayed at the National Museum of India from September 25 until October 26. The exhibition is accompanied by conference of scholars, a presentation of books to universities and cultural organisations of India and other special events at the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Delhi. A series of similar presentations will be held at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jamia Millia Islamia and Islamic Cultural Centre of India. The first of these events was held on January 20 at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial, where the Shastri Museum, was gifted a unique collection of books. Illustrated in 10 volumes, the collection of books depicts the vibrant legacy of the Republic of Uzbekistan that is highlighted in art collections from all over the world. Admired by several generations of Uzbeks, Shastri is remembered fondly for the historic declaration of 1966 between India and Pakistan, which he signed in Tashkent, shortly before his death. The Lal Bahadur Shastri Centre for Indian Culture, which works under the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), was established in Tashkent in 1995 and has been a household name in Uzbekistan for its cultural activities.

Ready to provide India everything on Shastri: Uzbek diplomat

Uzbekistan&nbsp;President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said today that his country is ready to join the Turkmenistan to India gas pipeline, Reuters reported.

"We have agreed that Uzbekistan will also take part in this project," Mirziyoyev said.

The Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India Pipeline (TAPI) gas pipeline is being partly funded by the Asian Development Bank, the construction of the Turkmenistan section had started three years ago.

Uzbekistan's entry will radically change the equations in the region. Although reports said it is still unclear if Tashkent would ship gas through the pipeline.

In February, several top leaders from Pakistan, India, Turkmenistan & &nbsp;Afghanistan had gathered at Turkmenistan’s border with Afghanistan to inaugurate a section of the 1,840-km pipeline.

President Mirziyoyev's move comes after India's external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj met foreign minister of Uzbekistan Abdulaziz Kamilov and discussed trade and investment-related issues in Beijing.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Uzbekistan in a bid to diversify its gas market is looking at Pakistan and India as a possible market. The Central Asian country had started to lay the Afghan section of the pipeline which will also be linked to Pakistan.

The project which costs $8 billion will be one of the most ambitious gas pipeline projects in the region. President &nbsp;Mirziyoyev declaration came after he met Turkmenistan President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov.

Both Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan hope to rely less on dominant neighbours China and Russia for their gas exports as the region competes for resources in an increasingly complex power equation.

Reuters said Uzbek experts would travel to Turkmenistan to discuss Tashkent's role in the pipeline.

The project which costs $8 billion will be one of the most ambitious gas pipeline projects in the region.

Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said today that his country is ready to join the Turkmenistan to India gas pipeline, Reuters reported. "We have agreed that Uzbekistan will also take part in this project," Mirziyoyev said. The Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India Pipeline (TAPI) gas pipeline is being partly funded by the Asian Development Bank, the construction of the Turkmenistan section had started three years ago. Uzbekistan's entry will radically change the equations in the region. Although reports said it is still unclear if Tashkent would ship gas through the pipeline. In February, several top leaders from Pakistan, India, Turkmenistan & Afghanistan had gathered at Turkmenistan’s border with Afghanistan to inaugurate a section of the 1,840-km pipeline. President Mirziyoyev's move comes after India's external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj met foreign minister of Uzbekistan Abdulaziz Kamilov and discussed trade and investment-related issues in Beijing. Uzbekistan in a bid to diversify its gas market is looking at Pakistan and India as a possible market. The Central Asian country had started to lay the Afghan section of the pipeline which will also be linked to Pakistan. The project which costs $8 billion will be one of the most ambitious gas pipeline projects in the region. President Mirziyoyev declaration came after he met Turkmenistan President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov. Both Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan hope to rely less on dominant neighbours China and Russia for their gas exports as the region competes for resources in an increasingly complex power equation. Reuters said Uzbek experts would travel to Turkmenistan to discuss Tashkent's role in the pipeline.

Uzbekistan to join Turkmenistan-India gas pipeline project: President Mirziyoyev

Uzbekistan offered on Tuesday to host peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban, a move that could make Tashkent a player in settling the decades-long conflict in the neighbouring country.

The former Soviet republic is seeking to raise its international profile as part of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's campaign to open up the nation of 32 million and attract foreign investment after decades of isolation and economic stagnation.

"We stand ready to create all necessary conditions, at any stage of the peace process, to arrange on the territory of Uzbekistan direct talks between the government of Afghanistan and the Taliban movement," Mirziyoyev told a conference in Tashkent attended by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

European Union foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini and a number of foreign ministers including those of Russia and Turkey, also attended the conference, but there were no Taliban representatives.

Last month, Ghani offered recognition of the Taliban as a legitimate political group as part of a proposed political process. He repeated the offer on Tuesday, saying it would "let ballots replace bullets". 
Meanwhile, Thomas Shannon, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, warned that if the Taliban rejected the offer, "they will leave us no choice but to oppose them".

Mirziyoyev took over the predominantly Muslim Uzbekistan after the death in 2016 of authoritarian President Islam Karimov, who had run the country since the Soviet era.

Tashkent`s ties with the West were strained under Karimov who was often criticised over his government`s human rights abuses.

Mirziyoyev has promised to liberalise the country and has launched a diplomatic campaign to bring in foreign investment and boost trade.

Tashkent`s ties with the West were strained under Karimov who was often criticised over his government`s human rights abuses.

Uzbekistan offered on Tuesday to host peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban, a move that could make Tashkent a player in settling the decades-long conflict in the neighbouring country. The former Soviet republic is seeking to raise its international profile as part of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's campaign to open up the nation of 32 million and attract foreign investment after decades of isolation and economic stagnation. "We stand ready to create all necessary conditions, at any stage of the peace process, to arrange on the territory of Uzbekistan direct talks between the government of Afghanistan and the Taliban movement," Mirziyoyev told a conference in Tashkent attended by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. European Union foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini and a number of foreign ministers including those of Russia and Turkey, also attended the conference, but there were no Taliban representatives. Last month, Ghani offered recognition of the Taliban as a legitimate political group as part of a proposed political process. He repeated the offer on Tuesday, saying it would "let ballots replace bullets". Meanwhile, Thomas Shannon, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, warned that if the Taliban rejected the offer, "they will leave us no choice but to oppose them". Mirziyoyev took over the predominantly Muslim Uzbekistan after the death in 2016 of authoritarian President Islam Karimov, who had run the country since the Soviet era. Tashkent`s ties with the West were strained under Karimov who was often criticised over his government`s human rights abuses. Mirziyoyev has promised to liberalise the country and has launched a diplomatic campaign to bring in foreign investment and boost trade.

Uzbekistan offers to host talks between Afghan government, Taliban

Uzbekistan wants to establish a new venue for peace talks between the government of neighbouring Afghanistan and the Taliban, it said on Tuesday, having invited the world&rsquo;s top diplomats to a conference later this month.

As per media reports, the conference will be held on 26 to 27 March in Tashkent with the aim to jumpstart the &ldquo;Afghan-owned, Afghan-led process for national reconciliation&rdquo;, its foreign ministry said in a statement.

It is unclear, however, whether any Taliban representatives will be present at the meeting where Afghan President Ashraf Ghani is set to deliver a keynote speech.

The meeting will be the first such event to be hosted by Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who came to power in 2016 and has pledged to open up the resource-rich nation of 32 million to the outside world.

An extravagant number of high-ranking officials are said to attend the conference including the UN Secretary-General Ant&oacute;nio Guterres, UN Special Representative for Afghanistan Tadamiti Yamamoto and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Magerini will attend the conference.

Other than that, foreign ministers of China, Russia, the United States, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, France, Turkey, India, Iran, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are also expected to attend the conference.

The representatives are expected to voice their consolidated position at the regional and global levels on the need for the early start of direct talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban without any preconditions being put forward.&nbsp;

Mirziyoyev&rsquo;s office said last week that US&nbsp;President Donald Trump supported the conference in a message, saying his &ldquo;administration is considering the composition of the relevant delegation of the United States&rdquo;.

The Uzbek foreign ministry said it expected the meeting to adopt the resolution calling for &ldquo;guaranteed integration of the armed opposition into the political life of Afghanistan&rdquo; while condemning &ldquo;all forms and manifestations of terrorism&rdquo;.

&ldquo;Initiating the Tashkent Conference, Uzbekistan by no means intends to confine itself to arranging it as a one-off event, but to continue with vigorous efforts &ndash; both bilaterally and multilaterally &ndash; to promote a peaceful political process in Afghanistan,&rdquo; it said.

Mirziyoyev took over the predominantly Muslim former Soviet republic after the death of President Islam Karimov who had run it for more than a quarter of a century.

Tashkent&rsquo;s ties with the West were strained under Karimov who was often criticised over his government&rsquo;s human rights abuses.

Mirziyoyev has promised to liberalise the resource-rich nation and has embarked on a diplomatic campaign to bring in much-needed foreign investment.

(With inputs from Reuters)

The conference will be held on 26 to 27 March in Tashkent with the aim to jumpstart the 'Afghan-owned, Afghan-led process for national reconciliation', its foreign ministry said in a statement

Uzbekistan wants to establish a new venue for peace talks between the government of neighbouring Afghanistan and the Taliban, it said on Tuesday, having invited the world’s top diplomats to a conference later this month. As per media reports, the conference will be held on 26 to 27 March in Tashkent with the aim to jumpstart the “Afghan-owned, Afghan-led process for national reconciliation”, its foreign ministry said in a statement. It is unclear, however, whether any Taliban representatives will be present at the meeting where Afghan President Ashraf Ghani is set to deliver a keynote speech. The meeting will be the first such event to be hosted by Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who came to power in 2016 and has pledged to open up the resource-rich nation of 32 million to the outside world. An extravagant number of high-ranking officials are said to attend the conference including the UN Secretary-General António Guterres, UN Special Representative for Afghanistan Tadamiti Yamamoto and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Magerini will attend the conference. Other than that, foreign ministers of China, Russia, the United States, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, France, Turkey, India, Iran, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are also expected to attend the conference. The representatives are expected to voice their consolidated position at the regional and global levels on the need for the early start of direct talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban without any preconditions being put forward. Mirziyoyev’s office said last week that US President Donald Trump supported the conference in a message, saying his “administration is considering the composition of the relevant delegation of the United States”. The Uzbek foreign ministry said it expected the meeting to adopt the resolution calling for “guaranteed integration of the armed opposition into the political life of Afghanistan” while condemning “all forms and manifestations of terrorism”. “Initiating the Tashkent Conference, Uzbekistan by no means intends to confine itself to arranging it as a one-off event, but to continue with vigorous efforts – both bilaterally and multilaterally – to promote a peaceful political process in Afghanistan,” it said. Mirziyoyev took over the predominantly Muslim former Soviet republic after the death of President Islam Karimov who had run it for more than a quarter of a century. Tashkent’s ties with the West were strained under Karimov who was often criticised over his government’s human rights abuses. Mirziyoyev has promised to liberalise the resource-rich nation and has embarked on a diplomatic campaign to bring in much-needed foreign investment. (With inputs from Reuters)

Uzbekistan seeks bigger role in Afghan-Taliban peace talks

Heavy snow continued to affect parts of China on Saturday, closing highways, causing train and flight cancellations, and even interrupting a soccer match between Vietnam and Uzbekistan in a southern Chinese province.

In central Hubei province, sections of more than 30 highways were closed due to icy conditions, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

The three railway stations in Wuhan, Hubei&#39;s provincial capital, cancelled more than a hundred train journeys.

By about noon (0400 GMT), 95 flights had been cancelled at the Wuhan Tianhe International Airport, stranding some 1,200 passengers.

The airport at Nanning, capital of south China&#39;s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, also cancelled many flights.

In Changzhou city in southern Jiangsu province, the second half of the Under-23 Asian Cup final was interrupted for an hour on Saturday afternoon as snow covered the pitch.

Vietnam, long seen as an underdog, had defeated Australia, Iraq and Qatar to face Uzbekistan in the final, cheered on by Vietnamese at home and at the Changzhou Olympic Sports Centre.

The National Meteorological Centre renewed an orange alert on Saturday for snowstorms in central and eastern China. The orange alert is the second-highest in a four-tier weather warning system.

Heavy snow or sleet was expected in parts of Henan, Hubei, Guizhou and Hunan provinces and regions along the Yangtze River and Huaihe River.

Blizzards will strike parts of Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hubei and Hunan provinces.

On Friday, a unit of China&#39;s State Oceanic Administration issued a blue alert for sea ice in a key port area in the north of the country, potentially disrupting commodities shipments.

In central Hubei province, sections of more than 30 highways were closed due to icy conditions

Heavy snow continued to affect parts of China on Saturday, closing highways, causing train and flight cancellations, and even interrupting a soccer match between Vietnam and Uzbekistan in a southern Chinese province. In central Hubei province, sections of more than 30 highways were closed due to icy conditions, the official Xinhua news agency reported. The three railway stations in Wuhan, Hubei's provincial capital, cancelled more than a hundred train journeys. By about noon (0400 GMT), 95 flights had been cancelled at the Wuhan Tianhe International Airport, stranding some 1,200 passengers. The airport at Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, also cancelled many flights. In Changzhou city in southern Jiangsu province, the second half of the Under-23 Asian Cup final was interrupted for an hour on Saturday afternoon as snow covered the pitch. Vietnam, long seen as an underdog, had defeated Australia, Iraq and Qatar to face Uzbekistan in the final, cheered on by Vietnamese at home and at the Changzhou Olympic Sports Centre. The National Meteorological Centre renewed an orange alert on Saturday for snowstorms in central and eastern China. The orange alert is the second-highest in a four-tier weather warning system. Heavy snow or sleet was expected in parts of Henan, Hubei, Guizhou and Hunan provinces and regions along the Yangtze River and Huaihe River. Blizzards will strike parts of Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hubei and Hunan provinces. On Friday, a unit of China's State Oceanic Administration issued a blue alert for sea ice in a key port area in the north of the country, potentially disrupting commodities shipments.

Heavy snow in central, southern China causes travel havoc

Afghanistan and Uzbekistan are working to start a transit route, which will be operational soon.

The Tolo News quoted officials from the Ministry of Commerce and Industries as saying that the delegations from the two countries were working to make this happen.

The spokesman for the ministry, Musafir Qoqandi, said that the new route would help to send Afghan goods from Uzbekistan to other parts of the world.

The countries have reportedly signed dozens of agreements and contracts during Afghan President Ashraf Ghani&#39;s trip to Tashkent this month.

&quot;We continue our efforts to start our transit through as soon as possible. Uzbekistan is also very interested to start transit through Afghanistan,&quot; Qoqandi said.

However, the deputy head of Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Khanjan Alokozay, has suggested the government to take the issue under &#39;proper management&#39;.

&quot;Uzbekistan is trying to use Afghanistan route because it needs a closer route to South Asia. It exports iron and cotton worth billions of dollars every year,&quot; Alokozay said.

The new route would help to send Afghan goods from Uzbekistan to other parts of the world

Afghanistan and Uzbekistan are working to start a transit route, which will be operational soon. The Tolo News quoted officials from the Ministry of Commerce and Industries as saying that the delegations from the two countries were working to make this happen. The spokesman for the ministry, Musafir Qoqandi, said that the new route would help to send Afghan goods from Uzbekistan to other parts of the world. The countries have reportedly signed dozens of agreements and contracts during Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's trip to Tashkent this month. "We continue our efforts to start our transit through as soon as possible. Uzbekistan is also very interested to start transit through Afghanistan," Qoqandi said. However, the deputy head of Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Khanjan Alokozay, has suggested the government to take the issue under 'proper management'. "Uzbekistan is trying to use Afghanistan route because it needs a closer route to South Asia. It exports iron and cotton worth billions of dollars every year," Alokozay said.

Afghanistan, Uzbekistan to start transit route soon

The Halloween terrorist attack in New York by Sayfullo Saipov has ignited a debate in social media between scholars of Central Asia on why there is an apparently increasing number of such attacks by Uzbeks. The New York atrocity follows similar events in Istanbul, St Petersburg and Stockholm. Four very prominent attacks within ten months give an impression and suggest a trend.

Certain questions naturally arise. Why so many Uzbeks? Does this simply reflect the high number of emigrants, or is it a matter of specific recruitment networks within their migrant communities? Does the combination of a more repressive environment at home with a more open environment in countries of destination matter? Maybe it&rsquo;s specific histories of conflict between certain groups and the government in Tashkent? Or, perhaps, it&rsquo;s a backlash against the foreign allies of Uzbekistan? For most of these questions, only partial answers are available &ndash; but certain things can be said.

The error repeatedly made across the media is to look for explanations in Uzbekistan itself, but this isn&rsquo;t about radicalisation in Uzbekistan. There are very few terrorist attacks in Uzbekistan itself, only ten out of 85,000 global incidents recorded from 2001-2016. The much-cited Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan left the country almost two decades ago, hasn&rsquo;t committed an attack there since 2004, and now fights in remnants in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Meanwhile, the attackers perpetrating the incidents above left Uzbekistan many years before the attacks and were &ldquo;radicalised&rdquo; after leaving. Clearly, the real explanations lie elsewhere.

Getting out

This is why migration matters, as it does on almost every question with regard to contemporary Central Asia. Uzbekistan has easily the largest population in Central Asia, with more than 30m citizens. Over the last 20 years, several million Uzbeks have left their home country in search of a better life abroad. In this sense, the millions of Uzbeks are part of a wider trend of predominantly young men migrating overseas. For many of them, this is a tremendous opportunity; most are assets to their new home countries. But a tiny minority fall prey to radicalisation and violence.

In a social media debate with other Central Asia specialists, Sarah Kendzior, a journalist and anthropologist of Uzbekistan, argued:&nbsp;

<blockquote>
I think the big error that people are making is that this is an &lsquo;Uzbek problem&rsquo; instead of a &lsquo;alienated man abroad susceptible to the influence of terrorist propaganda and recruitment efforts&rsquo; problem. It makes far more sense to examine the three Uzbek cases within this broader category of men.
</blockquote>

Then there&rsquo;s the question of recruitment mechanisms among migrants. Sergei Abashin, the Russian anthropologist, has drawn attention to how the sheer extent of Uzbek migrant networks makes them an attractive target for militant groups who offer them meaning in militant religion. Uzbek author and journalist Hamid Ismailov concur; in a Facebook response to the Saipov attack, he recalled a passage from his 2014 novel where he linked the emergence of international Uzbek jihadist networks to the battle between two very violent political institutions: the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and the government of Uzbekistan.

Also relevant are specific security governance measures and patterns. Kendzior is correct that the things that attract Central Asians to conduct terrorist attacks and mass shootings are the same as those which attract other young men, including Europeans and Americans. This is a global phenomenon &ndash; but it&rsquo;s also true that more perpetrators come from certain places than from others. The question is why.

Hunted abroad

Some countries, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Uzbekistan in particular, have been very good at &ldquo;exporting&rdquo; young men who are susceptible to jihadism due to their experience of repression at home. And this repression can even follow them overseas.

At the University of Exeter, we record Central Asian governments&rsquo; transnational security measures against exiled citizens and opposition groups. Of these states, Uzbekistan is consistently the most likely to pursue its exiles overseas, and particularly its religious exiles. As Alexander Cooley and I discuss in our book Dictators Without Borders, the Uzbek security services informally but extensively collaborate with security services in Russia, where the vast majority of Uzbek migrants are found, and other former Soviet states.

The Uzbek government would say that attacks such as the ones seen this year justify its strategy, but the reverse may be true. Their transnational crackdown on peaceful groups feeds into the jihadist narrative that secularism and Islam are entirely incompatible, as well as subjecting many young men who were not previously attracted to such narratives to harsh, violent repression.

Moreover, despite Uzbekistan&rsquo;s appalling human rights record, some Western democracies continue to provide limited security co-operation, particularly the US. These measures too can help fuel jihadist thinking. Had the US government made an explicit policy decision many years ago not to work with the Karimov government on counter-terrorism because that government was making the situation worse, it would have undercut some of the violent, radical narratives that may draw in a figure such as Saipov.

The Trump administration&rsquo;s knee-jerk anti-immigration response to the Saipov attack risks exacerbating this problem, and once again affirms jihadist images of the West. Migration should be recognised as a given and a good, and not least as part of the foundation of the US itself; simply shutting it down cannot be sound policy, and it won&rsquo;t help to reduce risks elsewhere. Instead, Western governments need to push back against repressive counter-terrorism policies among the states who have &ldquo;exported&rdquo; the perpetrators of violent acts &ndash; and they must be prepared to withdraw their support from those dangerous governments who&rsquo;ve come to depend on it.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/has-uzbekistans-repressive-government-helped-radicalise-its-emigrants-and-exiles-86887" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.

Image Credit: EPA

The repressive counter-terrorism policies of states, such as Uzbekistan are pushing many of its emigrants to paths of extremism.

The Halloween terrorist attack in New York by Sayfullo Saipov has ignited a debate in social media between scholars of Central Asia on why there is an apparently increasing number of such attacks by Uzbeks. The New York atrocity follows similar events in Istanbul, St Petersburg and Stockholm. Four very prominent attacks within ten months give an impression and suggest a trend. Certain questions naturally arise. Why so many Uzbeks? Does this simply reflect the high number of emigrants, or is it a matter of specific recruitment networks within their migrant communities? Does the combination of a more repressive environment at home with a more open environment in countries of destination matter? Maybe it’s specific histories of conflict between certain groups and the government in Tashkent? Or, perhaps, it’s a backlash against the foreign allies of Uzbekistan? For most of these questions, only partial answers are available – but certain things can be said. The error repeatedly made across the media is to look for explanations in Uzbekistan itself, but this isn’t about radicalisation in Uzbekistan. There are very few terrorist attacks in Uzbekistan itself, only ten out of 85,000 global incidents recorded from 2001-2016. The much-cited Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan left the country almost two decades ago, hasn’t committed an attack there since 2004, and now fights in remnants in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Meanwhile, the attackers perpetrating the incidents above left Uzbekistan many years before the attacks and were “radicalised” after leaving. Clearly, the real explanations lie elsewhere. Getting out This is why migration matters, as it does on almost every question with regard to contemporary Central Asia. Uzbekistan has easily the largest population in Central Asia, with more than 30m citizens. Over the last 20 years, several million Uzbeks have left their home country in search of a better life abroad. In this sense, the millions of Uzbeks are part of a wider trend of predominantly young men migrating overseas. For many of them, this is a tremendous opportunity; most are assets to their new home countries. But a tiny minority fall prey to radicalisation and violence. In a social media debate with other Central Asia specialists, Sarah Kendzior, a journalist and anthropologist of Uzbekistan, argued: I think the big error that people are making is that this is an ‘Uzbek problem’ instead of a ‘alienated man abroad susceptible to the influence of terrorist propaganda and recruitment efforts’ problem. It makes far more sense to examine the three Uzbek cases within this broader category of men. Then there’s the question of recruitment mechanisms among migrants. Sergei Abashin, the Russian anthropologist, has drawn attention to how the sheer extent of Uzbek migrant networks makes them an attractive target for militant groups who offer them meaning in militant religion. Uzbek author and journalist Hamid Ismailov concur; in a Facebook response to the Saipov attack, he recalled a passage from his 2014 novel where he linked the emergence of international Uzbek jihadist networks to the battle between two very violent political institutions: the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and the government of Uzbekistan. Also relevant are specific security governance measures and patterns. Kendzior is correct that the things that attract Central Asians to conduct terrorist attacks and mass shootings are the same as those which attract other young men, including Europeans and Americans. This is a global phenomenon – but it’s also true that more perpetrators come from certain places than from others. The question is why. Hunted abroad Some countries, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Uzbekistan in particular, have been very good at “exporting” young men who are susceptible to jihadism due to their experience of repression at home. And this repression can even follow them overseas. At the University of Exeter, we record Central Asian governments’ transnational security measures against exiled citizens and opposition groups. Of these states, Uzbekistan is consistently the most likely to pursue its exiles overseas, and particularly its religious exiles. As Alexander Cooley and I discuss in our book Dictators Without Borders, the Uzbek security services informally but extensively collaborate with security services in Russia, where the vast majority of Uzbek migrants are found, and other former Soviet states. The Uzbek government would say that attacks such as the ones seen this year justify its strategy, but the reverse may be true. Their transnational crackdown on peaceful groups feeds into the jihadist narrative that secularism and Islam are entirely incompatible, as well as subjecting many young men who were not previously attracted to such narratives to harsh, violent repression. Moreover, despite Uzbekistan’s appalling human rights record, some Western democracies continue to provide limited security co-operation, particularly the US. These measures too can help fuel jihadist thinking. Had the US government made an explicit policy decision many years ago not to work with the Karimov government on counter-terrorism because that government was making the situation worse, it would have undercut some of the violent, radical narratives that may draw in a figure such as Saipov. The Trump administration’s knee-jerk anti-immigration response to the Saipov attack risks exacerbating this problem, and once again affirms jihadist images of the West. Migration should be recognised as a given and a good, and not least as part of the foundation of the US itself; simply shutting it down cannot be sound policy, and it won’t help to reduce risks elsewhere. Instead, Western governments need to push back against repressive counter-terrorism policies among the states who have “exported” the perpetrators of violent acts – and they must be prepared to withdraw their support from those dangerous governments who’ve come to depend on it. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Image Credit: EPA

Why Uzbeks are turning into jihadis

Another day, another extremist attack, so what else is new? Recently it was in New York, a couple of weeks ago it was in Las Vegas, before that in London, and before that in Paris and so the list goes on and on. We could just as easily be referring to the seasonal Fashion Week held in these international hubs of design instead of the far grimmer subject of &lsquo;lone wolf&rsquo; attacks and terrorism.

Israel for example, despite its outstanding intelligence and security services, apart from a pro-active and robust approach to counter-terror policy and actions, reportedly faces at least one lone wolf attack a month.

The attackers themselves too span the globe. The New York attacker is of Uzbek origin, while we have had Afghans, Pakistanis, Libyans, Algerians, Palestinians and a host of other nationalities involved as well. If there is one thing in common amongst them, it is that they are homegrown, that is citizens of the country attacked, and in most cases followers of radical Islam.

Also, does the present attack by an Uzbek imply that Uzbekistan and probably Central Asia is the new focus of radical Islam? &nbsp;While one attack is hardly evidence of such a trend, it is worth recalling that Central Asia has been the focus of radical Islam for years. It is now a forgotten footnote of history that the erstwhile Soviet Union used the Red Army to suppress the Basmachi Movement, the Islamic Rebel Groups in Central Asia, in the 1920&rsquo;s.

Interestingly, documentation now available in the public domain suggests that the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 was in response to attempts to radicalise the population in Central Asia, though ironically the Americans got this completely wrong and gave it a massive boost instead, something they have been forced to confront over the past two decades.

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The primary difference between lone wolf attackers and those belonging to terrorist groups, as we have all learnt over time, is that while they may be adherents of radical ideologies, they operate either alone or at best with an accomplice or two and are devoid of any support, logistic, intelligence or operational from any terrorist organisation.

This obviously limits the damage they can actually cause though, as we recently witnessed at Las Vegas, easy availability of high calibre weapons can tragically result in utter devastation. However, the very individualistic nature of such attacks ensures that their planning and preparation remain very low-key, and therefore, extremely difficult for the intelligence and security apparatus to pick up or prevent. The evolving nature of this threat makes existing counter - terror architecture and processes incapable of combating such threats effectively.

It is nobody&rsquo;s case that counter-terror intervention groups, such as the Special Action Groups of the NSG, have become redundant because it is impossible to foresee what tactics terrorists may employ in the future. Thus, hostage rescue and building/aircraft/train/ship intervention continue to be essential tasks for which specialised units must be kept trained and ready.

What however is emerging as absolutely essential to deal with lone wolf attacks is the necessity to reinforce beat cops and armed policemen with highly trained officers, both in and out of uniform, suitably equipped to respond instantaneously to ongoing situations. In this respect, the United Kingdom has been pro-active in establishing a high-level Counter-Terrorism Committee that is responsible for formulating the national Counter Terrorism and Domestic Extremism strategy.

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<h5>It is a shameful, but unquestionable fact that India&#39;s counter-terrorism architecture is not much better than it was at the time of the Mumbai attacks, where it failed miserably.</h5>
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Also, through its National Counter Terrorism Policing Headquarters it coordinates and controls specialised investigative and immediate intervention units, the CTC and CTU&rsquo;s. All of this backed by an effective database. It is no wonder then that the three attackers involved in the London Bridge terror incident in June this year were neutralised within eight minutes.

Though we in this country have not been subjected to lone wolf attacks, the reason for which needs to be analysed in depth, there is little doubt that we need to put in place systems to be able to deal with such a threat. It is, in fact, utter criminal negligence on the part of our political class that has led to the stalling of the establishment of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) and the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) projects.

It is a shameful, but unquestionable fact that our counter-terrorism architecture is not much better than it was at the time of the Mumbai attacks, where it failed miserably. It is high time that our political and security establishment get a move on and do what they are paid for, resignations and bluster after the event means little.

Security establishment of India needs to work on and develop a better counter-terrorism architecture to track and avoid terrorist attacks

Another day, another extremist attack, so what else is new? Recently it was in New York, a couple of weeks ago it was in Las Vegas, before that in London, and before that in Paris and so the list goes on and on. We could just as easily be referring to the seasonal Fashion Week held in these international hubs of design instead of the far grimmer subject of ‘lone wolf’ attacks and terrorism. Israel for example, despite its outstanding intelligence and security services, apart from a pro-active and robust approach to counter-terror policy and actions, reportedly faces at least one lone wolf attack a month. The attackers themselves too span the globe. The New York attacker is of Uzbek origin, while we have had Afghans, Pakistanis, Libyans, Algerians, Palestinians and a host of other nationalities involved as well. If there is one thing in common amongst them, it is that they are homegrown, that is citizens of the country attacked, and in most cases followers of radical Islam. Also, does the present attack by an Uzbek imply that Uzbekistan and probably Central Asia is the new focus of radical Islam? While one attack is hardly evidence of such a trend, it is worth recalling that Central Asia has been the focus of radical Islam for years. It is now a forgotten footnote of history that the erstwhile Soviet Union used the Red Army to suppress the Basmachi Movement, the Islamic Rebel Groups in Central Asia, in the 1920’s. Interestingly, documentation now available in the public domain suggests that the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 was in response to attempts to radicalise the population in Central Asia, though ironically the Americans got this completely wrong and gave it a massive boost instead, something they have been forced to confront over the past two decades. The very individualistic nature of such attacks ensures that their planning and preparation remain very low-key, and therefore, extremely difficult for the intelligence and security apparatus to pick up or prevent. × The primary difference between lone wolf attackers and those belonging to terrorist groups, as we have all learnt over time, is that while they may be adherents of radical ideologies, they operate either alone or at best with an accomplice or two and are devoid of any support, logistic, intelligence or operational from any terrorist organisation. This obviously limits the damage they can actually cause though, as we recently witnessed at Las Vegas, easy availability of high calibre weapons can tragically result in utter devastation. However, the very individualistic nature of such attacks ensures that their planning and preparation remain very low-key, and therefore, extremely difficult for the intelligence and security apparatus to pick up or prevent. The evolving nature of this threat makes existing counter - terror architecture and processes incapable of combating such threats effectively. It is nobody’s case that counter-terror intervention groups, such as the Special Action Groups of the NSG, have become redundant because it is impossible to foresee what tactics terrorists may employ in the future. Thus, hostage rescue and building/aircraft/train/ship intervention continue to be essential tasks for which specialised units must be kept trained and ready. What however is emerging as absolutely essential to deal with lone wolf attacks is the necessity to reinforce beat cops and armed policemen with highly trained officers, both in and out of uniform, suitably equipped to respond instantaneously to ongoing situations. In this respect, the United Kingdom has been pro-active in establishing a high-level Counter-Terrorism Committee that is responsible for formulating the national Counter Terrorism and Domestic Extremism strategy. It is a shameful, but unquestionable fact that India's counter-terrorism architecture is not much better than it was at the time of the Mumbai attacks, where it failed miserably. × Also, through its National Counter Terrorism Policing Headquarters it coordinates and controls specialised investigative and immediate intervention units, the CTC and CTU’s. All of this backed by an effective database. It is no wonder then that the three attackers involved in the London Bridge terror incident in June this year were neutralised within eight minutes. Though we in this country have not been subjected to lone wolf attacks, the reason for which needs to be analysed in depth, there is little doubt that we need to put in place systems to be able to deal with such a threat. It is, in fact, utter criminal negligence on the part of our political class that has led to the stalling of the establishment of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) and the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) projects. It is a shameful, but unquestionable fact that our counter-terrorism architecture is not much better than it was at the time of the Mumbai attacks, where it failed miserably. It is high time that our political and security establishment get a move on and do what they are paid for, resignations and bluster after the event means little.

The New York terror attack calls for a changed counter-terror response

New York is an intrepid city. One can&#39;t but fall in love with it. I for that matter was in complete awe. Having lived and worked there for years, I would marvel at the city&#39;s capacity to absorb the most myriad group of ethnic communities across the world. The heinous 9/11 attack did leave its scar on the city but failed to daunt its spirit. While rest of the US has become suspicious of foreigners in different degrees, NYC continues to live up to the unmatched standard of its own cosmopolitanism. An unusual mix of people, culture and religion.

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New York is an international symbol of freedom and democracy, and we will not be deterred. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NYCstrong?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NYCstrong</a> <a href="https://t.co/2antds3185">pic.twitter.com/2antds3185</a>
&mdash; Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYGovCuomo/status/925520087670493184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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New York&#39;s resilience is stronger than a cowardly act of terror. Thinking of the victims, their families, &amp; the responders who saved lives.
&mdash; Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) <a href="https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton/status/925515496576962562?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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No person, no group, no community own NYC. The city belongs to all New Yorkers. And who is a New Yorker? Anyone who lives there, works in the city, share the city&#39;s spirit. You don&#39;t have to be particularly white, a Jew or an American citizen to be a New Yorker. The city will embrace you. Slowly, with time, as you gain your foothold in that behemoth metropolis, if you start feeling comfortable with its peculiar ebb and flow of life, the city will suck you in. The people make New York City what it is. Not the buildings, shops, the cars or the affluence.

&quot;New York is very much like the movies&quot;, the Algerian-French couple pointed out to me as the sun set over the white desert, close to Jordan&#39;s border with Saudi Arabia. I agreed in politeness. But the city, in reality, is stranger than celluloid fiction.

In the real world, Italy may have very little to do with China; there could possibly be no overlaps between the languages, cultures, food types of the two countries but just across Mulberry Street, Little Italy and China Town co-exist. How do the residents of two blocs communicate? I have no idea. Do they fight each other? No.

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<h5>Life in the City is a rich tapestry of diverse colours, designs and motifs. And that is what makes it unique. You cannot essentialise it, reduce it, box it, or simplify it.</h5>
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This coexistence evident all over the city is not a doing of NYPD alone. Over years, the city has learned to live an eclectic life, slowing growing out of its more violent past. It respects stability but is not hankering for homogeneity. While one can decide to stick to one&#39;s culture and language, religion and dress, there is always the possibility of getting enriched by others who are very different. Different but no less.

Life in the City is a rich tapestry of diverse colours, designs and motifs. And that is what makes it unique. You cannot essentialise it, reduce it, box it, or simplify it. The City is a bundle of contradictions.

Yesterday&#39;s terrorist attack was a brutal blow to this richness of life, mauling to the ground the values the City stands for. Not only have we lost eight precious lives; we have jeopardised a spirit which is hard to find nowadays because there is so much hate, jingoism, and intolerance.

Let us for a moment not get into the number game by saying, oh, only eight died. I agree many more die in the war zones of West Asia every day. But we cannot for sake of humanity compare lives with lives. Every life lost is a loss. Let us condemn it.

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<h5>How is killing these people, most of whom are tourists and immigrants, help to maul the military might of the US?</h5>
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Also watch:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/school-bus-with-children-inside-hit-in-new-york-attack-6467">School bus with children inside hit in New York attack</a>

The mindless terror that motivated the assassin appals me. No for god&#39;s sake don&#39;t try to convince me of the ideological underpinning of the act. It had none. It was not even prompted by an empathy for a cause. The terrorist decided to strike at the hub of New York&#39;s tourist destination. It is very much a civilian space too. It is a stone throw away from Wall Trade Center, Wall Street, Anne Frank Museum. Millions of commuter included me, travelled through that locality every day. How is killing these people, most of whom are tourists and immigrants, help to maul the military might of the US?

In his mindless rage, what the assassin might have missed is that such actions make the US an even more paranoid country. The current president is already hellbent to stop immigration with his exclusionary ideology that has little regard for the New York spirit. This attack will give Donald Trump one more and a very big excuse to close the doors and come down hard on other countries whose citizens he is keen on relegating to lives of eternal damnation. It is already evident from Twitter posts how hate is flowing fast and thick

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Stop letting these animals in the country!
&mdash; Jose Guitian Cicero (@omgitzjose) <a href="https://twitter.com/omgitzjose/status/925589998312751104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Start deportations, entire families. Investigate all their neighbors. 
Ppl start paying attention who TFK lives next door! +Fk protesters!!!
&mdash; ?NdRE (@cruztomahawk) <a href="https://twitter.com/cruztomahawk/status/925597499502616577?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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There will be no freedom when those terrorists will kill us all??
&mdash; Bina Arington (@Baring5225) <a href="https://twitter.com/Baring5225/status/925592483777593344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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My only plea today is if you wish to fight hegemony, violence, hatred, then think carefully and resist strategically. Killing innocent lives does not help whatever cause you are fighting for, it does not defeat your mighty opponent and, the worst is, you only help to bolster jingoistic responses. More importantly, you end up killing a spirit which you may actually want to champion, at least for the sake of a more tolerant world.

This attack will give Donald Trump one more and a very big excuse to close the doors and come down hard on other countries whose citizens he is keen on relegating to lives of eternal damnation.

New York is an intrepid city. One can't but fall in love with it. I for that matter was in complete awe. Having lived and worked there for years, I would marvel at the city's capacity to absorb the most myriad group of ethnic communities across the world. The heinous 9/11 attack did leave its scar on the city but failed to daunt its spirit. While rest of the US has become suspicious of foreigners in different degrees, NYC continues to live up to the unmatched standard of its own cosmopolitanism. An unusual mix of people, culture and religion. New York is an international symbol of freedom and democracy, and we will not be deterred. #NYCstrong pic.twitter.com/2antds3185 — Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) November 1, 2017 × New York's resilience is stronger than a cowardly act of terror. Thinking of the victims, their families, & the responders who saved lives. — Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) November 1, 2017 × No person, no group, no community own NYC. The city belongs to all New Yorkers. And who is a New Yorker? Anyone who lives there, works in the city, share the city's spirit. You don't have to be particularly white, a Jew or an American citizen to be a New Yorker. The city will embrace you. Slowly, with time, as you gain your foothold in that behemoth metropolis, if you start feeling comfortable with its peculiar ebb and flow of life, the city will suck you in. The people make New York City what it is. Not the buildings, shops, the cars or the affluence. "New York is very much like the movies", the Algerian-French couple pointed out to me as the sun set over the white desert, close to Jordan's border with Saudi Arabia. I agreed in politeness. But the city, in reality, is stranger than celluloid fiction. In the real world, Italy may have very little to do with China; there could possibly be no overlaps between the languages, cultures, food types of the two countries but just across Mulberry Street, Little Italy and China Town co-exist. How do the residents of two blocs communicate? I have no idea. Do they fight each other? No. Life in the City is a rich tapestry of diverse colours, designs and motifs. And that is what makes it unique. You cannot essentialise it, reduce it, box it, or simplify it. × This coexistence evident all over the city is not a doing of NYPD alone. Over years, the city has learned to live an eclectic life, slowing growing out of its more violent past. It respects stability but is not hankering for homogeneity. While one can decide to stick to one's culture and language, religion and dress, there is always the possibility of getting enriched by others who are very different. Different but no less. Life in the City is a rich tapestry of diverse colours, designs and motifs. And that is what makes it unique. You cannot essentialise it, reduce it, box it, or simplify it. The City is a bundle of contradictions. Yesterday's terrorist attack was a brutal blow to this richness of life, mauling to the ground the values the City stands for. Not only have we lost eight precious lives; we have jeopardised a spirit which is hard to find nowadays because there is so much hate, jingoism, and intolerance. Let us for a moment not get into the number game by saying, oh, only eight died. I agree many more die in the war zones of West Asia every day. But we cannot for sake of humanity compare lives with lives. Every life lost is a loss. Let us condemn it. How is killing these people, most of whom are tourists and immigrants, help to maul the military might of the US? × Also watch: School bus with children inside hit in New York attack The mindless terror that motivated the assassin appals me. No for god's sake don't try to convince me of the ideological underpinning of the act. It had none. It was not even prompted by an empathy for a cause. The terrorist decided to strike at the hub of New York's tourist destination. It is very much a civilian space too. It is a stone throw away from Wall Trade Center, Wall Street, Anne Frank Museum. Millions of commuter included me, travelled through that locality every day. How is killing these people, most of whom are tourists and immigrants, help to maul the military might of the US? In his mindless rage, what the assassin might have missed is that such actions make the US an even more paranoid country. The current president is already hellbent to stop immigration with his exclusionary ideology that has little regard for the New York spirit. This attack will give Donald Trump one more and a very big excuse to close the doors and come down hard on other countries whose citizens he is keen on relegating to lives of eternal damnation. It is already evident from Twitter posts how hate is flowing fast and thick Stop letting these animals in the country! — Jose Guitian Cicero (@omgitzjose) November 1, 2017 × Start deportations, entire families. Investigate all their neighbors. Ppl start paying attention who TFK lives next door! +Fk protesters!!! — ?NdRE (@cruztomahawk) November 1, 2017 × There will be no freedom when those terrorists will kill us all?? — Bina Arington (@Baring5225) November 1, 2017 × My only plea today is if you wish to fight hegemony, violence, hatred, then think carefully and resist strategically. Killing innocent lives does not help whatever cause you are fighting for, it does not defeat your mighty opponent and, the worst is, you only help to bolster jingoistic responses. More importantly, you end up killing a spirit which you may actually want to champion, at least for the sake of a more tolerant world.

Terror attacks on NYC will bolster jingoism in the US

Uzbekistan told US&nbsp;President Donald Trump on Wednesday it was ready to do everything it could to help investigate an attack in New York in which an Uzbek-born man is suspected of killing eight people by mowing them down in a truck.

Uzbekistan spoke out after a US&nbsp;law enforcement official described the suspect as a US&nbsp;immigrant born in Uzbekistan, a landlocked, predominantly Muslim country in Central Asia that was part of the Soviet Union until its collapse in 1991

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev made the offer of help in a letter of condolence to Trump in which he condemned the attack as &quot;extremely brutal&quot; and said there could be no justification for such violence.

&quot;From our side, we are ready to use all our power and resources to cooperate in the investigation of this terrorist act,&quot; Mirziyoyev wrote in the letter, which was posted on his country&#39;s Foreign Ministry&#39;s website.

&quot;We express our solidarity with the US&nbsp;people.&quot;

The attack - the bloodiest single attack on New Yorkers since Sept. 11, 2001, when suicide hijackers crashed two jetliners into the World Trade Center-&nbsp;is a challenge for Mirziyoyev who assumed office at the end of 2016 and is trying to slowly open up his country after decades of authoritarian rule.

It also shines an uncomfortable light on Islamist militancy in the wider region which has supplied Islamic State in Syria and Iraq with thousands of fighters.

An Uzbek Foreign Ministry official told reporters earlier on Wednesday it was investigating reports that the attacker was a citizen of the Central Asian nation.

If the attacker&#39;s identity is confirmed, it would be the fourth deadly attack to be carried out by an Uzbek national or ethnic Uzbek this year.

On New Year&#39;s day, an Uzbek gunman burst into a nightclub in the Turkish city of Istanbul and killed 39 people.

In April, an ethnic Uzbek man born in Kyrgyzstan blew up a metro train in the Russian city of St Petersburg, killing at least 14 people, and that same month an Uzbek man rammed a truck into a crowd in Stockholm, killing four people.

All the attacks were linked to or claimed by Islamic State.

&quot;NOT VERY POPULAR&quot;

US&nbsp;police declined to publicly identify the man, but a source familiar with the investigation said his name was Sayfullo Saipov, 29.

CNN and other US media said Saipov had left a note saying he carried out the attack in the name of Islamic State and that he had shouted &quot;Allahu Akbar&quot; - Arabic for &quot;God is greatest&quot; - when he jumped out of his truck.

He had emigrated to the United States in 2010 and lived in Florida, other US&nbsp;media reported.

An acquaintance of Saipov told Reuters he had originally come from Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan.

Mirrakhmat Muminov, a truck driver and Uzbek community activist who lives in Stow, Ohio, told sources by phone that he knew Saipov and had spoken to him in recent months.

He said Saipov had lived in Stow two or three years ago, that they had met through the local Uzbek community, and that Saipov had also worked there as a truck driver.

Muminov said he had heard about the attack from members of the local Uzbek community, some of whom he said were getting ready to be questioned by the authorities.

He said he had no first-hand information about whether Saipov had carried out the attack.

&ldquo;He was spontaneously religious,&quot; said Muminov. &quot;He started studying religion in the United States,&quot; something he said it was hard to do in Uzbekistan where study of Islam is tightly controlled.

Muminov painted a picture of a man who was struggling to make it in the United States, had few friends, and poor communication and English language skills.

&quot;He was withdrawn, nervous, sometimes aggressive. Because of that he was lonely, he lived in his own world. He was not very popular,&rdquo; said Muminov.

&quot;I heard that his third son was born a couple months ago.&rdquo;

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev made the offer of help in a letter of condolence to Trump.

Uzbekistan told US President Donald Trump on Wednesday it was ready to do everything it could to help investigate an attack in New York in which an Uzbek-born man is suspected of killing eight people by mowing them down in a truck. Uzbekistan spoke out after a US law enforcement official described the suspect as a US immigrant born in Uzbekistan, a landlocked, predominantly Muslim country in Central Asia that was part of the Soviet Union until its collapse in 1991 Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev made the offer of help in a letter of condolence to Trump in which he condemned the attack as "extremely brutal" and said there could be no justification for such violence. "From our side, we are ready to use all our power and resources to cooperate in the investigation of this terrorist act," Mirziyoyev wrote in the letter, which was posted on his country's Foreign Ministry's website. "We express our solidarity with the US people." The attack - the bloodiest single attack on New Yorkers since Sept. 11, 2001, when suicide hijackers crashed two jetliners into the World Trade Center- is a challenge for Mirziyoyev who assumed office at the end of 2016 and is trying to slowly open up his country after decades of authoritarian rule. It also shines an uncomfortable light on Islamist militancy in the wider region which has supplied Islamic State in Syria and Iraq with thousands of fighters. An Uzbek Foreign Ministry official told reporters earlier on Wednesday it was investigating reports that the attacker was a citizen of the Central Asian nation. If the attacker's identity is confirmed, it would be the fourth deadly attack to be carried out by an Uzbek national or ethnic Uzbek this year. On New Year's day, an Uzbek gunman burst into a nightclub in the Turkish city of Istanbul and killed 39 people. In April, an ethnic Uzbek man born in Kyrgyzstan blew up a metro train in the Russian city of St Petersburg, killing at least 14 people, and that same month an Uzbek man rammed a truck into a crowd in Stockholm, killing four people. All the attacks were linked to or claimed by Islamic State. "NOT VERY POPULAR" US police declined to publicly identify the man, but a source familiar with the investigation said his name was Sayfullo Saipov, 29. CNN and other US media said Saipov had left a note saying he carried out the attack in the name of Islamic State and that he had shouted "Allahu Akbar" - Arabic for "God is greatest" - when he jumped out of his truck. He had emigrated to the United States in 2010 and lived in Florida, other US media reported. An acquaintance of Saipov told Reuters he had originally come from Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. Mirrakhmat Muminov, a truck driver and Uzbek community activist who lives in Stow, Ohio, told sources by phone that he knew Saipov and had spoken to him in recent months. He said Saipov had lived in Stow two or three years ago, that they had met through the local Uzbek community, and that Saipov had also worked there as a truck driver. Muminov said he had heard about the attack from members of the local Uzbek community, some of whom he said were getting ready to be questioned by the authorities. He said he had no first-hand information about whether Saipov had carried out the attack. “He was spontaneously religious," said Muminov. "He started studying religion in the United States," something he said it was hard to do in Uzbekistan where study of Islam is tightly controlled. Muminov painted a picture of a man who was struggling to make it in the United States, had few friends, and poor communication and English language skills. "He was withdrawn, nervous, sometimes aggressive. Because of that he was lonely, he lived in his own world. He was not very popular,” said Muminov. "I heard that his third son was born a couple months ago.”

Uzbekistan tells Trump it is ready to help investigate New York attack

President of the ex-Soviet Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, six days after he was hospitalised for a suspected brain haemorrhage, officals confirmed on Friday.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;He has left us,&quot; Karimov&#39;s younger daughter Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva wrote on Instagram. &quot;God bless him.&quot; 
Karmikov, 78, ruled Uzbekistan as one of the most repressive regimes for 27 years. 
 
He was served as the head of the local Communist Party in 1989 and then as president of the newly independent republic from 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed. 
 
Karmikov did not designate any political successor. Central Asia analysts have named Mirziyoyev, former regional governor, as a possible heir.&nbsp; 
 
Some senior officials and family members are likely to decide the transition of power. Prolonged lack of a leader could destablise the majority Muslim state that shares a border with Afghanistan and has become a target for Islamist militants.&nbsp; 
 
If they fail to agree on a compromise, however, open confrontation could destabilise the mainly Muslim state of 32 million people, which shares a border with Afghanistan and has become a target for Islamist militants. 
 
The authoritarian leader will be buried in his home city of Samarkand on Saturday. Three days of mourning will be observed.&nbsp; 
 
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed condolences to acting President Nigmatilla Yuldoshev. The Kremlin quoted Putin as saying his death was a &quot;heavy loss for Uzbekistan&quot;. 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)

The authoritarian leader was hospitalised six days ago with a suspected brain haemorrhage

President of the ex-Soviet Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, six days after he was hospitalised for a suspected brain haemorrhage, officals confirmed on Friday. "He has left us," Karimov's younger daughter Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva wrote on Instagram. "God bless him." Karmikov, 78, ruled Uzbekistan as one of the most repressive regimes for 27 years. He was served as the head of the local Communist Party in 1989 and then as president of the newly independent republic from 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed. Karmikov did not designate any political successor. Central Asia analysts have named Mirziyoyev, former regional governor, as a possible heir. Some senior officials and family members are likely to decide the transition of power. Prolonged lack of a leader could destablise the majority Muslim state that shares a border with Afghanistan and has become a target for Islamist militants. If they fail to agree on a compromise, however, open confrontation could destabilise the mainly Muslim state of 32 million people, which shares a border with Afghanistan and has become a target for Islamist militants. The authoritarian leader will be buried in his home city of Samarkand on Saturday. Three days of mourning will be observed. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed condolences to acting President Nigmatilla Yuldoshev. The Kremlin quoted Putin as saying his death was a "heavy loss for Uzbekistan". (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov dies after 25 years in power

Ailing Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov has passed away, according to Turkish Prime Minister&nbsp;Binali Yildirim. 
 
Uzbek authorities&nbsp;have yet to confirm the news. 
 
&quot;Uzbek&nbsp;President Islam Karimov has died. May Allah rest him in peace,&quot; Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said. 
 
Afghan and Kyrgyz diplomats also said their country&#39;s&nbsp;leaders would attend the 78-year-old&#39;s funeral.&nbsp; 
 
Karimov, who has been the president of Uzbekistan since 1990,&nbsp;was admitted to a hospital last Sunday after he suffered a stroke, Uzbek officials said.&nbsp; 
 
Karimov&#39;s death has not left behind any successor. The decision to appoint the next president would be taken by a small group of top Uzbek officials, Reuters reported. 
 
The West has always accused Karimov of governing the country with an iron fist. 
 
His supporters, however, insist that he had to do it to stave off presence of radical forces in the Muslim-dominated country.

(WION with inputs from agencies) 
 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

Mystery shrouds his death as Uzbek authorities are yet to confirm the news

Ailing Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov has passed away, according to Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim. Uzbek authorities have yet to confirm the news. "Uzbek President Islam Karimov has died. May Allah rest him in peace," Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said. Afghan and Kyrgyz diplomats also said their country's leaders would attend the 78-year-old's funeral. Karimov, who has been the president of Uzbekistan since 1990, was admitted to a hospital last Sunday after he suffered a stroke, Uzbek officials said. Karimov's death has not left behind any successor. The decision to appoint the next president would be taken by a small group of top Uzbek officials, Reuters reported. The West has always accused Karimov of governing the country with an iron fist. His supporters, however, insist that he had to do it to stave off presence of radical forces in the Muslim-dominated country. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Uzbek President Karimov has died: Turkish PM

Weightlifter Ruslan Nurudinov, known as the &quot;Pride of Uzbekistan&quot;, struck gold in the men`s 105kg class with an Olympic record at the Rio Games on Monday. 
 
The 24-year-old raised a combined total of 431kg above his head to win by a massive 14kg over 19-year-old silver medallist Simon Martirosyan of Armenia.&nbsp; 
 
Kazakhstan`s Alexandr Zaichikov, who served a doping ban from 2013 to 2015, claimed bronze with 416. 
 
Nurudinov, who already had gold assured, lifted 237kg in the clean and jerk to set a new Olympic record. 
 
Afterwards he sank to his knees, roared and burst into tears.&nbsp; 
 
He then ran a lap of the platform waving an Uzbek flag as the crowd stood and cheered.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)

'Pride of Uzbekistan' won by a massive 14kg over silver medalist Martirosyan of Armenia in 105kg weightlifting event

Weightlifter Ruslan Nurudinov, known as the "Pride of Uzbekistan", struck gold in the men`s 105kg class with an Olympic record at the Rio Games on Monday. The 24-year-old raised a combined total of 431kg above his head to win by a massive 14kg over 19-year-old silver medallist Simon Martirosyan of Armenia. Kazakhstan`s Alexandr Zaichikov, who served a doping ban from 2013 to 2015, claimed bronze with 416. Nurudinov, who already had gold assured, lifted 237kg in the clean and jerk to set a new Olympic record. Afterwards he sank to his knees, roared and burst into tears. He then ran a lap of the platform waving an Uzbek flag as the crowd stood and cheered. (AFP)

Rio Olympics 2016: Nurudinov's heavy lifting cleans up Games record en route to gold

A bomb in a crowded in market in the north Afghanistan city of Mazar-i-Sharif on Tuesday killed at least two people and wounded 15, police officials said. 
 
Mazar-i-Sharif, an important commercial centre near the border with Uzbekistan, has generally been spared the violence unleashed by insurgent groups battling the NATO-backed government in Kabul. 
 
The attack on Tuesday was carried out by a suicide bomber, said police commander Baba Jan. 
 
&quot;The bomber detonated his explosives in the main market and all the victims are civilians,&quot; he said. 
 
The Ministry of Interior, however, reported that a bomb had been hidden in a cart. 
 
In February, three people were killed in an attack on a bus carrying military personnel not far from Mazar-i-Sharif, and in January, militants attacked the Indian consulate in the city. 
 
(Reuters)

Mazar-i-Sharif has generally been spared the violence unleashed by insurgent groups battling the NATO-backed government in Kabul

A bomb in a crowded in market in the north Afghanistan city of Mazar-i-Sharif on Tuesday killed at least two people and wounded 15, police officials said. Mazar-i-Sharif, an important commercial centre near the border with Uzbekistan, has generally been spared the violence unleashed by insurgent groups battling the NATO-backed government in Kabul. The attack on Tuesday was carried out by a suicide bomber, said police commander Baba Jan. "The bomber detonated his explosives in the main market and all the victims are civilians," he said. The Ministry of Interior, however, reported that a bomb had been hidden in a cart. In February, three people were killed in an attack on a bus carrying military personnel not far from Mazar-i-Sharif, and in January, militants attacked the Indian consulate in the city. (Reuters)

Bomb goes off in crowded city market in Afghanistan, two killed, 15 injured

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