Uzbekistan Rejects Kyrgyz Calls for De-Mining

BISHKEK/TASHKENT. Uzbekistan has rejected a call by Kyrgyzstan to remove mines along their border. Qodir Yusupov, a spokesman for the Uzbek Foreign Ministry, yesterday said Uzbekistan insists on retaining the right to protect its borders as long as there remains a threat of terrorist attacks. Yusupov said Uzbekistan also refuses to provide maps of where mines had been laid.
However, press service of the Kyrgyzstan foreign ministry said today that the Uzbek side did not send any information related to the issue.
Two days ago, Kyrgyzstan formally protested to Uzbekistan after a Kyrgyz man died while stepping on a landmine. This was the second time in as many weeks that Kyrgyzstan protested to Uzbekistan over border incidents.