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OSCE chief hopes EU will lift Uzbek sanctions

12 Apr 2007 17:32:00 GMT
Source: Reuters

TASHKENT, April 12 (Reuters) - OSCE Chairman Miguel Angel Moratinos said on Thursday he hoped the European Union would lift sanctions imposed on Uzbekistan after Tashkent quashed a revolt in the town of Andizhan in 2005.

"We hope very much that in light of the steps taken by Uzbekistan and resumed dialogue between Uzbekistan and the EU, we could achieve positive results and lift measures and restore confidence," Moratinos told reporters in Tashkent.

Moratinos, who is also Spanish foreign minister, was speaking Spanish which was translated through Russian into English. Spain is current chairman of the 56-member Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

The European Union will review the sanctions in May and EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said in March there had been some positive signals from Uzbekistan.

The European Union restricted military sales and banned visas for 12 top Uzbek officials in November 2005 after accusing Uzbekistan of using indiscriminate force to quash a revolt in the town of Andizhan in May 2005.

Last November EU governments extended the arms embargo for a further year and the visa ban for six months but lifted restrictions on technical meetings.

Witnesses say hundreds of people were killed on May 13, 2005, among them women and children, when troops opened fire on a protest in Andizhan. Uzbekistan blamed the riot on Islamist extremists and said most of the dead were armed insurgents.

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Last updated:Thu Apr 12 17:32:42 2007