Uzbekistan bans foreign military bases on its territory

Tashkent, Aug 30 (IANS) Uzbekistan's parliament voted Thursday to ban foreign military bases on its territory, reported Xinhua.

The members of the Senate, parliament's upper house, approved a foreign policy bill at a plenary meeting. The document, which declares that Uzbekistan will not take part in any military and political blocs, allows no foreign military bases or other facilities on its territory.

Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov said at the meeting Uzbekistan reserved the right to leave any interstate structures if they became military-political blocs.

The document, which previously was adopted by the lower house, will become law after Uzbek President Islam Karimov signs it.

In June, Uzbekistan suspended its membership of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), an intergovernmental military alliance in the Commonwealth of Independent States. These states were formerly members of the Soviet Union.