ALMATY, Sept 13 (THE GLOBE)
�CITMA is a far-sighted and timely proposal of the President Nursultan Nazarbaev. This proposal is focused on security of the region required for its further development. It took 6 years for this conference to work. Sixteen countries take part in the form to formulate a number of principles,� the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan announced on Monday in Almaty in his interview to THE GLOBE.
�I hope that Ministers of Foreign Affairs will sign this memorandum tomorrow and we will be able to apply to these principles settling security problems. This is a very important step, which is supposed to guarantee peace and stability in the region,� Sartaj Aziz emphasised.
According to the Minister, since the moment when Kazakhstan became a sovereign country, relations between Pakistan and Kazakhstan developed well. Eighteen agreements on economic, transport and cultural co-operation were signed between our countries. There were a lot of high-levels visits. But the potential of the future co-operation is significantly greater.
Mr. Aziz stated that the opening of trade ways is an important factor. In the last year four countries, including Pakistan, China, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan signed an agreement on the Karakorum highway.
The head of the Pakistani Foreign department expressed his hope that the agreement would be soon realised and that highway would be put into exploitation.
�Another potential field is oil and gas export from Kazakhstan via Pakistan. We have signed the agreement on a transit of the Turkmen gas with Turkmenistan. The gas will be transported via Afghanistan and Pakistan. Once the pipeline is built, we hope that Kazakhstan will be able to join it. This will be the shortest export way for Kazakhstan power resources,� Sartaj Aziz stated.
Speaking about the events in the southern Kyrgyzstan, Mr. Aziz said that Pakistan supported Kyrgyzstan and was ready to render a help to the country.
As far as Pakistani relations with China are concerned, the Minister affirmed that the relations between Pakistan and China were very good for many years. This proves the strong economic links, and a significant consumable turnover, which came to US$ 1.5 billion per year.
�We have a very close co-operation in the defence sphere. Besides, we have very close historical and cultural links. As far as the Uigur separatist in Sintsyan are concerned, we completely support the official position of Peking,� he added.
Commenting the Pakistani position regarding the Taliban movement, the chief diplomat Pakistan emphasised that Islamabad had always tried to establish peaceful relations with Kabul governments.
�For the four years after the appearance of the Taliban movement, they captured 90% of the Afghan territory. We have acknowledged their government. But we are still trying to promote a dialogue to regulate the conflict in a peaceful way,� the Minister resumed.
According to Mr. Aziz, Afghanistan is a country, which has no outlet to the sea. During the last 50 years Pakistan has been giving Afghanistan an access to transport routes. At the present time the two countries continue this co-operation. Though the real economic relations are not properly developed due to the ruined economy of Afghanistan.
ALMATY, Sept 13
(THE GLOBE, basing on materials of the press service of the MFA RK)
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of RK, the held meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the states-participants of the Conference on Interaction and Trust Measures in Asia (CITMA) sums up the results of the first phase if this forum. The forum was initiated in 1992, when at the 47th session of the UNO General Assembly Nursultan Nazarbaev proposed to establish the multi-sides security mechanism in Asia.
The wide representation in the new structure proves that states of this region are interested in peace and stability, the press release states. The necessity of CITMA was predetermined by the new geopolitical situation in the world, caused by the completion of the global confrontation epoch and new threats of international security � ethnical conflicts, international terrorism, illegal immigration and so on.
The main task of the current phase is to determine the orients for the further process of the development. The near future of CITMA will depend on the document, which is to be signed by heads of the states and governments, the MFA press release emphasises.
ALMATY, Sept 13
(THE GLOBE)
�In the result of the long correspondence, on August 31 the first conference devoted to the delimitation of the border between the two countries was held in Moscow. Both Kazakhstan and Russian delegations took part in the conference,� the ambassador of MIA of RK announced on Monday in Almaty.
According to Ibragim Amangaliev, mainly organisational issues were discussed at the conference. The parties agreed to start the delimitation from the western site �Astrakhan-Atyrau�. Issues regarding usage of documents, cartographic materials and map scales were also discussed.
The parties agreed that the delimitation would be based on the existing administrative border, Mr. Amangaliev stated. There were no claims of either Russia or Kazakhstan.
�The delimitation should not influence negatively the co-operation between the countries and to impede the human communication,� he emphasised.
According to Mr. Amangaliev, the delegations consist of representatives of all concerned ministries and departments, as well as all bordering regions. The protocol was signed in the result of the negotiations.
It is known that the length of the Russian-Kazakhstan border is more than 7 000 km.
Taking into consideration the character of interrelations of the two countries, the parties plan to conclude an agreement within 2 to 3 years. According to the ambassador, issues regarding only the land border, including rivers and lakes.
Ibragim Amangaliev said that it was planned to hold the next conference of the delegations in December in Kazakhstan.
GROZNY, Russia, Sept 13
(AFP)
Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev denied here Monday any involvement in a string of bombings that have left close to 200 dead in some 15 days.
In an interview with AFP, Basayev said �neither Khattab, nor I, nor the Islamist fighters in Dagestan are involved in any way with the explosions in Moscow and in Buinaksk.�
Basayev and Jordanian-born Khattab led a cross-border raid into Dagestan last month and again this month, seizing villages as part of a drive to set up an Islamic state encompassing Chechnya and Dagestan.
At least 34 people died in a bombing Monday at a Moscow apartment building, only five days after another blast killed 92 in another residential area of the capital.
On September 4, 64 people died in the bombing of an apartment building housing Russian servicemen in the city of Buinaksk, in central Dagestan.
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