The United States and Uzbekistan have confirmed they reached a formal counter-terrorism agreement that will allow U-S troops and warplanes to use Uzbek air space and military bases in the first instance for humanitarian purposes.
The pact also calls for urgent security talks if Uzbekistan faces a direct threat. This formal announcement comes amid reports of a Taleban troop build-up along the Uzbek border.
In a joint statement released simultaneously in Washington and Tashkent today (Friday), both Uzbekistan and the United States commit themselves to eliminating international terrorism and its infrastructure.
The two countries reached an informal agreement on October seventh, the same day the United States and Britain launched air strikes against targets in Afghanistan. The bombs are directed against suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden, his al-Qaida network and their hosts, the Taleban