Germany Pushes for Lifting of Eu Sanctions on Uzbekistan

Germany is pushing strongly to lift or ease European sanctions against Uzbekistan, despite the central Asian dictatorship's appalling human rights record, protests from human rights watchdogs and opposition from other EU countries.

At a meeting in Brussels today of EU foreign ministers, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German foreign minister, plans to push for a relaxation of sanctions against Tashkent exactly two years after the Andijan massacre, when Uzbek security forces killed up to 800 protesters.

The EU sanctions were imposed in protest at the massacre and because of the regime's refusal to allow an independent inquiry. Germany, chairing the EU, wants to spearhead a new European strategy towards central Asia. It believes the sanctions are not working and may be counter-productive.

Diplomats said the EU was deadlocked going into today's meeting, with Britain leading the resistance to the German policy because the regime of President Islam Karimov had failed to make any meaningful concessions to EU demands.

Two years ago up to 800 protesters were massacred in the town of Andijan, when regime forces opened fire on unarmed demonstrators in what is believed to have been the worst suppression of a protest since the Tiananmen Square killings.

The regime insists 187 Islamic fundamentalists were killed. Since then, the Karimov regime has expelled international NGOs, human rights watchdogs and charities. The US cut off aid and the Uzbeks closed down US military facilities being used for the war in Afghanistan.

The EU banned military sales, imposed sanctions and put 12 regime officials on a visa blacklist, denying them EU entry. Germany was the only EU or Nato country allowed to keep a military base, at Termez on the Afghan border, and despite the visa ban, it allowed the Uzbek police chief into Germany for medical treatment.