UZBEKISTAN SEEKS EU AID TO FIGHT DRUG SMUGGLING

(Reuters) - Uzbek President Islam Karimov on Wednesday attacked neighbouring
Afghanistan for encouraging opium production on industrial scale and
demanded help from the European Union to curb its trafficking to Western
markets.

``While authorities in Europe seize grammes of drugs, we seize them by the
tonnes, most of them originating from Afghanistan. But we lack the
up-to-date means to detect these shipments,'' Karimov told a news conference
in Sofia.

``We appeal to the European Union and all states concerned for collective
action to stop drug trafficking through our borders....we need equipment, we
need know-how,'' said Karimov.

Uzbekistan, one of five ex-Soviet republics in Central Asia -- Kyrgyzstan,
Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan -- remain economically weak more
than six years after gaining independence from Moscow.

The main drugs route from Afghanistan, considered to be the world's opium
production leader, passes through former Soviet republics in Central Asia
which traditionally have slack border controls, said Karimov.

Narcotics trade experts have said post-Soviet Central Asia is developing
into a new Golden Triangle to rival that of Laos, Thailand and Myanmar or
the Golden Crescent of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

``Afghanistan not only has no centralised anti-drug policy, but it
encourages its poverty stricken people, living in its southern parts, to
grow opium and sell it to sophisticated plants producing a wide range of
narcotics,'' said Karimov.

The money earned from drug sales in the civil-war-torn state, are
immediately used to buy arms, he added.

The United Nations last year launched a 10-year, $25 million programme aimed
at weaning Afghan farmers off opium poppy and onto other crops.

Karimov said that Afghanistan accounts for 80 percent of Europe's drugs
supply and for 50 percent of the world's heroin supply.

``The so-called 'narcocracies' supplying Europe are in Central Asia, with
Afghanistan being the major source...not Colombia,'' said Karimov.

Uzbekistan, worried about becoming a drug transit state, has succeeded in
fighting domestic production. Ten days ago it burned 7.5 tonnes of narcotics
seized by its security police.

Since 1992 law enforcement bodies have seized 38 tonnes of narcotics, mostly
opium and cannabis, which were bound for European markets.

Karimov was speaking during a three-day visit to Bulgaria where he signed
seven agreements with his Bulgarian counterpart Petar Stoyanov.

They include a trade and economic cooperation treaty, a bilateral
investments pact, and two transport agreements, which ensure the traffic of
Uzbek goods to and from Bulgarian Black Sea ports to neighbouring countries
and Europe.

Copyright 1998 Reuters Limited.

Checked-by: Melodi Cornett