Uzbekistan and the United States held one-week exercises, in which structures responsible for liquidation of consequences of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in the country and along its borders. ?More than 100 participants, representing ministries of defence, internal affairs, emergency situations and health, State Border Protection Committee, Customs Committee, Prosecutor?s Office and Nuclear Physics Institute participated in the joint actions aimed at coordination of activities during WMD use,? RIA Novosti reported quoting Ministry of Defence of Uzbekistan on Saturday.

The exercises were held under the patronage of the international non-proliferation programme of the US Department of Defence (ACP) and implemented by the Threat Reduction Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Internal Security Department, according to the US Embassy in Uzbekistan.

?The exercises were first within the programme framework,? Ken Dill, head of the project, said. ?Considering their results, they may become a model for other countries. Similar exercises are planned in the Baltic states.?

Within the ICP programme, Uzbekistan received equipment worth US$1 million to prevent smuggling of WMD components.