Due to the broad discussion in the mass media, statements and addresses by individual politicians and analysts with regard to the Declaration by the Heads of the SCO member-states adopted in Astana, concerning the need that the relevant members of antiterrorist coalition on Afghanistan have to determine the deadline terms of temporary use of land infrastructure sites and stationing of military contingents on the territory of the SCO member-states, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan states the following:

First, the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Government of the United States on transit through the territory of and access to military infrastructure in the Republic of Uzbekistan and its use, signed October 7, 2001 has been compelled, firstly, by the strife of Uzbek side, as an active participant of the antiterrorist coalition in Afghanistan, to make a feasible contribution to the cause of addressing the immediate threat on the part of the Taliban and the forces of international terrorism to the territorial integrity, security and stability of Uzbekistan, as a sovereign country.

The holding of the search and rescue operations and those on rendering the humanitarian aid in undertaking the combat operations on the contiguous territory of Afghanistan was the main goal of providing the US with the ?Khanabad? airfield.

Second, the allocation of the ?Khanabad? airfield territory for the use by the US Air Force and signing of the Agreement, and further discussions of deployment terms of the Armed Forces contingent in ?Khanabad? have always been considered and reasoned directly by holding the combat operations in the north of Afghanistan.

The Uzbek side did not consider any other options of deployment prospects of the US Armed Forces contingent on the territory of Uzbekistan.

In this, it should be underscored that the US practically has not made any payments to cover the extra costs made in fact by Uzbek side to ensure the ?Khanabad? airfield security, establish and exploit the needed infrastructure, and nor has compensated the environmental damage and discomfort for the local population.

From initial days of running and up until now there have not either been made any payments in terms of take-offs from and landings of the US air fleet on the airfield territory.

The MFA of Uzbekistan believes that these principle considerations must lie on the basis of discussions on prospects of stay of the US Armed Forces contingent at the ?Khanabad? airdrome. Tashkent, July 7, 2005