UZBEKISTAN REPUDIATES OLD DEBT TO RUSSIA.

The Uzbek parliament resolved on May 1 to invalidate credit agreements concluded in 1992 and 1993 with Russia, and under which Uzbekistan received 180 billion rubles worth of credits in cash and commodities. The debt was later restructured in a bilateral agreement in March 1997. The parliament’s nearly unanimous vote followed the presentation of a report by a special commission which had been tasked to investigate the propriety of these agreements. The commission determined that they ignored Uzbekistan’s legislation and national interests. (Russian agencies, May 4) –VS

CRACKDOWN ON “RADICAL” ISLAM IN UZBEKISTAN.