Declaration on the Strategic Partnership and Cooperation Framework Between the United States of America and the Republic of Uzbekistan

Seeking to establish qualitatively new and mutually beneficial relations in the political, economic, military, military-technical, humanitarian and other areas;

Recognizing the importance of consistent implementation of democratic and market reforms in Uzbekistan as a necessary condition for ensuring political, social, and economic stability, sustainable development, prosperity, and national security;

Recognizing the fundamental principles of the indivisibility of global and regional security;

Convinced that the independence, territorial integrity and sustainable development of the Republic of Uzbekistan, as well as the inviolability of its borders, is one of the key factors in maintaining stability and security in Central Asia;

With deep appreciation for the relations that have been established between the two countries and that are based on common goals, including combating international terrorism and eradicating economic and financial sources of support for extremism and terrorism; and

Reaffirming their commitment to the legal objectives and principles of the United Nations Charter and the political objectives and principles of the Helsinki Final Act of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the Charter of Paris for a New Europe, as well as the principles of international law and human rights set forth in both UN and OSCE documents;

Have reached mutual understandings on the following:

The Sides should implement bilateral cooperation and develop a strategic partnership based on the universally recognized principles and norms of international law; respect for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of both states; non-interference in each other’s internal affairs; commitment to democratic values and human rights and freedoms; and conscientious fulfillment of their international obligations.

The Uzbek side reaffirms its commitment and intention to further intensify the democratic transformation of society in the political, economic and spiritual areas, taking into account the obligations deriving from international treaties and the requirements of national legislation.

The United States side will endeavor to provide appropriate advice, aid, and assistance, consistent with U.S. law, to the Uzbek side and Uzbek society to implement democratic reforms in the following priority areas, where both Sides expect concrete progress:

-- strengthening the foundation for a secular state based on the rule of law, a market-based economy and an effective social safety net, and building a strong and open civil society;

-- further strengthening and developing democratic values in the society, ensuring respect for human rights and freedoms based on the universally recognized principles and norms of international law;

-- enhancing the role of democratic and political institutions in the life of society; establishing a genuine multi-party system; developing political culture and activism among citizens; ensuring free and fair elections, political pluralism, diversity of opinions, and the freedom to express them; and ensuring the independence of the media;

-- further strengthening and developing non-governmental structures, including non-governmental and public organizations, including independent media, as well as organs of self-government, and simplifying the procedure for registering them;

-- ensuring implementation of the constitutional principle of separation of powers, improving the lawmaking process, and increasing the oversight functions of the legislature, including through the establishment of a freely elected and multi-party bicameral legislature;

-- further improving the judicial and legal system and adopting additional measures to ensure the independence of the courts as a fully empowered, independent branch of government; and

-- further improving the activities of executive and administrative agencies and increasing public oversight of their activities.

The forms of cooperation in this area should be determined within the framework of individual programs and agreements.

II. SECURITY COOPERATION IN THE MILITARY AND MILITARY-TECHNICAL FIELD

Recognizing that the security of states in the region is key to the development, prosperity, and stability of Central Asia, and developing a qualitatively new, long-term relationship, the United States affirms that it would regard with grave concern any external threat to the security and territorial integrity of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Were this to occur, the United States will consult with the Republic of Uzbekistan on an urgent basis to develop and implement an appropriate response in accordance with U.S. Constitutional procedures. For its part, the Republic of Uzbekistan recognizes the critical importance of developing close, cooperative ties with its neighbors and promoting efforts at regional cooperation.

The Sides expect to develop cooperation in combating international terrorism, trafficking in persons, narcotics trafficking, organized crime, money laundering, illegal trafficking in weapons, munitions and explosives, and other transnational threats to security while respecting internationally recognized human rights and the rule of law.

Cooperation in this field may include:

-- holding regular consultations on problems of ensuring security and stability in Central Asia, including political, military, economic, environmental, and other aspects;

-- establishing cooperation, on a permanent basis, between the law enforcement agencies and military services and agencies of the Sides, consistent with the national laws of the Sides;

-- training special units of the Republic of Uzbekistan in combating terrorism, illegal narcotics trafficking, money laundering, and other transnational threats, and providing them with training assistance and equipment, and developing the necessary methodological and logistical basis for training special units;

-- supporting the regime of non-proliferation of nuclear, bacteriological, biological, and chemical weapons and means of their delivery, as well as dual-purpose technologies;

-- intensifying the export-control cooperative relationship to create an effective export-control system in the Republic of Uzbekistan;

-- further strengthening and building up the infrastructure of the state border of the Republic of Uzbekistan and ensuring greater effectiveness in guarding and protecting the border; and

-- other forms of cooperation as the Sides see fit.

The Sides take note of the dynamic development of military and military-technical cooperation between the two countries and intend to intensify relations in this area in the future.

The Sides may cooperate in the following areas:

-- modernizing and reforming the Armed Forces of the Republic of Uzbekistan, including training in civil-military relations and its obligations for conduct under international conventions, increasing their combat readiness, and providing training and advanced training of specialists, officers and command staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Uzbekistan;

-- using up-to-date information and computer technologies in training military personnel, and establishing and developing distance learning, and modeling and simulation systems in the Republic of Uzbekistan;

-- re-equipping the Armed Forces of the Republic of Uzbekistan with weapons and military hardware, providing assistance in modernizing and restoring the weapons and military hardware of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Uzbekistan;

-- actively utilizing the entire complex of existing international mechanisms and instruments in providing military-technical assistance to the Republic of Uzbekistan, developing its military infrastructure, and strengthening the logistical and training/methodological foundation of military educational institutions and training centers of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Uzbekistan; and

-- other forms of cooperation as the Sides see fit.

In accordance with the requirements of their national legislation and their international obligations, and within the framework of the Republic of Uzbekistan’s participation in NATO’s Planning and Review Process (PARP) program and in the Partnership for Peace program, the Sides expect to develop cooperation on both a bilateral and multilateral basis for the purpose of:

-- training of peacekeeping units of the Republic of Uzbekistan, conducting bilateral and multilateral exercises within the framework of NATO Partnership for Peace and plans for bilateral contacts;

-- establishment of a NATO Partnership for Peace Training Center in the Republic of Uzbekistan, and organization of its activities; assistance by the U.S. side in strengthening the center’s methodological and logistical base and in providing appropriate assistance for its activities;

-- assistance in the study and phased introduction of NATO standards in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Uzbekistan, to include equipping them with appropriate types of weapons and military hardware, as well as training military personnel within the NATO Partnership for Peace framework;

-- implementation of other measures as the Sides see fit.

The Sides reaffirm that sustainable development of the Central Asian region would benefit if cooperation in preventing and responding to natural disasters and natural, technogenic, and environmental emergencies is developed to the maximum extent possible.

The cooperation between the Sides in this field may include:

-- developing the capabilities of the countries of the region to predict and prevent emergencies;

-- increasing the preparedness of the population and the effectiveness of the emergency services of the Republic of Uzbekistan in preventing and responding to emergencies, as well as averting the consequences of natural, technogenic, and environmental disasters;

-- promoting cooperation between governmental and non-governmental organizations of the Sides to promote the prevention of natural, technogenic and environmental emergencies and disasters and mitigating the consequences of such situations;

-- planning, developing and implementing joint measures to increase the capacities of emergency services to act in disaster response; and

-- other forms of cooperation as the Sides see fit.

In support of Uzbekistan’s transition to a market-based economy and its integration in the world economic system, the Sides plan to give priority to the economic aspect of bilateral cooperation. This relationship should focus on Uzbekistan's commitment to implement macroeconomic, financial, and structural reforms, including efforts to improve the economic prospects of the most vulnerable segments of the population. Economic reforms should be aimed at liberalizing the economy, achieving currency convertibility, increasing competitiveness, and developing the private sector.

The Uzbek side reaffirms its commitment to implementing large-scale market reforms and intends to take steps aimed at:

-- liberalizing all spheres and sectors of the economy, and expanding the freedom and economic independence of business entities;

-- deepening structural reforms aimed at sustainable economic development, including in the areas of banking and finance; privatization; agriculture, including the procurement system; capital markets; and private-sector development;

-- creating a legal and regulatory environment conducive to the development of an efficient market-based economy; and

-- creating an attractive investment climate to attract foreign capital, by creating clear and transparent legal conditions that bar corruption, encourage good business and corporate governance, and respect contractual agreements.

The Uzbek side also reaffirms its full cooperation with the International Monetary Fund and other international financial institutions in order to:

-- achieve unification and convertibility of the national currency, and to fully implement the obligations under Article VIII of the Articles of Agreement of the International Monetary Fund;

-- increase the effectiveness of foreign economic relations, develop and strengthen Uzbekistan’s export capacities, and update procedures and mechanisms in the field of customs rate regulations; and

-- provide accurate data to the international financial institutions, and adopt internationally acceptable accounting standards.

In support of Uzbekistan's implementation of economic reforms to achieve sustainable growth, the U.S. side reaffirms its willingness to:

-- promote bilateral programs of technical assistance that are consistent with Uzbekistan’s long-term interests; and

-- support the Republic of Uzbekistan's dialogue with international financial institutions as the Republic of Uzbekistan demonstrates adherence to their mutually agreed conditionalities and programs.

The Sides should also seek to develop and expand WTO-consistent trade and investment cooperation by:

a) expanding the scope of technical assistance provided to the Republic of Uzbekistan within the framework of appropriate United States government and other international programs aimed at:

-- development of technical and economic justifications for attracting to Uzbekistan U.S. companies and banks participating in investment projects, including in the field of small and medium-sized business;

-- introduction of international standards of quality and certification of export products, and the use of up-to-date marketing technologies to promote Uzbek products on the world market; and

-- development of energy-saving and information technologies.

b) encouraging private-sector development activities, including through support for the development of small and medium-sized business, and other areas of mutual interest.

c) establishing in Uzbekistan the conditions essential to attract foreign investment, facilitating the use of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) programs for investment projects, privatization of large government-owned enterprises, development of small and medium-sized private business and the infrastructure of international tourism, as well as in other spheres of the nation’s economy; and

d) expanding reciprocal access to markets of goods, labor and services, including working toward terminating the application of Jackson-Vanik Amendment provisions and toward Permanent Normal Trade Relations status for the Republic of Uzbekistan, and assistance from appropriate United States government entities in the process of the Republic of Uzbekistan’s accession to the WTO.

The Sides reaffirm their goal of expanding and intensifying regional cooperation in Central Asia, and the desirability of providing assistance in strengthening friendly and neighborly relations among the countries of the region in matters relating to:

-- comprehensive development of economic relations among the nations of the Central Asian region;

-- formulation of effective forms and mechanisms for implementing agreements aimed at expanding reciprocal trade and investment among the nations of the region and beyond, including the development of common customs and tariff regimes consistent with WTO rules;

-- efficient and mutually beneficial use of water-management facilities, hydroelectric power resources, and other water-related infrastructures in Central Asia on the basis of the generally recognized principles and norms of international law and improvement of the mechanism of interstate use of transnational water resources;

-- establishing an interlinked regional and inter-regional transport, energy, and telecommunications infrastructure, including a system of international vehicular and railway transportation within the framework of the proposed "Europe-Caucasus-Asia" transportation and communications corridor; and

-- combating regional and transnational crime, especially narcotics trafficking, organized crime, human trafficking, and terrorism, through law enforcement cooperation among nations of the region and beyond.

The Sides intend to cooperate actively in the humanitarian field, particularly in the area of specialized training, education, public health, and environmental protection.

Cooperation in this field may include:

-- providing humanitarian aid, including medicines, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and supplies, food aid, clothing and other humanitarian commodities to the populace of the Republic of Uzbekistan, including in zones of environmental distress;

-- development of human resources, including by providing professional and academic exchanges and training and Internet access, and by considering appropriate assistance to the Republic of Uzbekistan's new vocational colleges and academic high schools;

-- assistance for socially oriented projects to be implemented in Uzbekistan in the area of improving the primary health care system, including the establishment of a network of regional emergency medical training centers, technical assistance to rural clinics, improvement of the system for preventing infectious diseases and vaccinating the populace, specialized training and other projects in the context of implementing the Republic of Uzbekistan’s National Program for improving the public health system;

-- encouraging international exchanges and initiatives of non-governmental organizations; and

-- such other forms of cooperation as the Sides see fit.

The Sides expect to cooperate actively in the area of basic sciences and the humanities, and also in high-technology areas. The Sides agree to discuss the possibility of entering into a Science and Technology Agreement between their governments that could provide significant mutual benefits.

Cooperation in this field may include:

-- scientific exchange, contacts, and interaction of Sides' scientific associations, institutions, scholars, and specialists;

-- establishment of joint scientific associations;

-- the organization and carrying out of joint scientific investigations, including in high-technology areas;

-- the implementation of promising projects, including ones that serve the interests of ensuring security and stability in the Central Asian region;

-- specialized training in branches of science and technology that have priority for the Republic of Uzbekistan, including in high-technology areas;

-- provision by the U.S. side of technical and financial assistance in strengthening and developing the Republic of Uzbekistan’s system of scientific institutions through exchanges and grant programs consistent with U.S. law; and

-- such other forms of cooperation as the Sides see fit.

The Sides expect to cooperate actively in matters of the human dimension, and express their resolve to ensure the effective exercise and protection of human rights and basic human freedoms, and the strengthening of democracy’s accomplishments in light of the requirements of international law and national legislation.

The Sides wish to encourage a broad and free exchange of information among the mass media, including non-governmental media, and each wishes to encourage the dissemination in the territory of its country of print, audio, and video products and other informational materials of the other country, in accordance with the existing national laws of each Side.

The Sides should seek to promote intensified cooperation by the professional associations of journalists and independent journalists of the two countries; the organization of exchanges of information and journalists; the holding of meetings, seminars, and conferences involving specialists on the mass media; and the implementation of joint projects in the area of journalist training.

The forms of cooperation and the conditions for exchanges may be developed through agreements between the relevant organizations of the two countries.

The Sides, through the relevant government agencies, should cooperate and exchange experience in the fields of democratization of the mass media.

Article 5.1 Avenues of Cooperation in the Legal Field

Recognizing the shared view of the need to build in Uzbekistan a rule-of-law state and democratic society in accordance with international norms, the Sides will endeavor to develop cooperation in improving the legislative process, the law-based government system, and the judicial system, and enhancing the citizens’ legal culture and knowledge of law and the training of legal specialists.

The Sides plan to cooperate in improving the Republic of Uzbekistan’s legislation in the light of generally recognized principles and standards of international law.

The cooperation may take place in the following areas:

-- supporting the primacy of law; protecting the rights and interests of the individual, the family, society, and the state; and strengthening and improving the legal defense of the rights and interests of citizens and legal entities;

-- establishing the legislative foundations for further democratization and liberalization, improving the activity of courts, and ensuring the independence of judges;

-- working to ensure that penal institutions meet international standards;

-- organizing seminars, training courses, and conferences, and exchanging visits by specialists and experts on current issues relating to contemporary law and law-making;

-- training and retraining personnel who take part in drafting and applying legislative and regulatory enactments;

-- exchanging information on legislation and the practice of its application; providing assistance in the translation of legislative and regulatory enactments; and

-- such other forms of cooperation as the Sides see fit.

The Sides intend also to endeavor to intensify their inter-parliamentary relations, and to promote improvement of the activity of the Republic of Uzbekistan’s Supreme Legislative Body.

The Sides intend to promote intensified cooperation and enhanced effectiveness of interaction on the part of the Sides' law enforcement agencies in conformity with existing agreements.

Cooperation in this field should be focused on:

-- specialized training and enhancement of skills of employees of the Republic of Uzbekistan’s law enforcement agencies with respect for internationally recognized human rights and rule of law, including organizing internships and conducting relevant seminars and training courses;

-- strengthening the material and technical base of the Republic of Uzbekistan’s law enforcement agencies; and

-- exchanging information on the operation of the penitentiary systems, in the context of a program for humanizing the penitentiary system, particularly in matters relating to retraining convicts for life in society after their release from their places of imprisonment.

The Sides should endeavor to find new fields of joint activity, and to expand and intensify their relations. They may wish to conclude other bilateral intergovernmental and interagency understandings in order to implement the specific provisions and intentions of this Declaration. Nothing in this Declaration is intended to effect an obligation of funds by either Side nor to prejudice the rights and obligations of the Sides under existing agreements, and everything provided should be subject to the laws and regulations of both countries.

Signed at Washington, in duplicate, on March 12, 2002, in the English and Uzbek languages.

FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: [signed by U.S. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell]

FOR THE REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN: [signed by Uzbekistan Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov]

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Released July 8, 2002