NATO chief visits Central Asia

NATO General Secretary George Robertson is visiting Tajikistan and Uzbekistan September 23 through September 26, the NATO press secretariat has announced. Robertson is expected to meet in Tajikistan with President Emomali Rakhmonov, Prime Minister Akil Akilov, Foreign Secretary Talbak Nazarov, Defence Minister Sherali Khairulloev and Minister of Security Khairiddin Abdurakhimov. Robertson also will visit the legislature and lecture at Tajik State National University.

In Uzbekistan, Robertson will hold talks with President Islam Karimov, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sadik Safaev and Defence Minister Kadir Gulamov. He will later meet with the speaker of the legislature, Erkin Khalilov, and lecture at Tashkent's University of World Economics and Diplomacy.