SPEECH BY PRESIDENT ISLAM KARIMOV ON THE 16TH SESSION OF OLIY MAJLIS (PARLIAMENT) OF THE REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN

The Mission of election observers from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) started its work in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. CIS observers will monitor the voting process on the eve of the parliamentary elections and also during the elections.

The forthcoming parliamentary elections in Uzbekistan on 26 December 2004 will significantly add to the efforts of the Uzbek Government on further liberalization and democratization of the society.

The elections to the Parliament of Uzbekistan and also to the provincial, district and city Councils of people?s deputies will be held in December 2004.

Konrad Adenauer Foundation (Germany) has been operating in Uzbekistan for 10 years. Over the past 2.5 years it was headed by Thomas Kunze, who spoke to Jahon news agency about his foundation\'s activity.

Creating Central Asian common market plays crucial role in fostering regional integration processes. It was stressed by Islam Karimov, President of Uzbekistan, at the meeting of the Central Asian Cooperation organisation held in Dushanbe (Tajikistan) on 18 October 2004.

The Central Asian countries are exposed to an increasingly vulnerable situation in the face of alarming raise in cultivation and production of drugs in Afghanistan.

The experience of developed countries on formation of parliament was discussed during the two-day international conference entitled \"Parliamentarism: experience of foreign countries\" held in Tashkent on 30 September ? 1 October.