Uzbek-German Deal May Signal Broader Security Cooperation with West

The Uzbek leadership’s belated announcement that the German lease on an air base at Termez has been renewed may be a signal the country is seeking broader security cooperation with the West.

A September 1 message from German president Christian Wulff on the anniversary of Uzbekistan’s independence was the first time the April 2010 renewal had been reported in the Central Asian republic.

Since 2002, the German military has had the use of the Termez base, located just over the border from the town of Khairaton in Afghanistan, to support NATO-led operations in that country. 

The lease was renewed in December 2005, despite the eviction of United States forces from another airbase at Karshi, prompted by Uzbek anger at western calls for an investigation into the violence in May that year.

Tashkent’s relations with western states thawed in early 2008 when permission was granted for NATO civilian advisers to fly into Afghanistan via Termez. A year later, the Uzbeks allowed NATO to use the base to ship NATO freight of a non-military nature.

At present, the Termez base hosts 300 German airforce personnel and six military transport planes. German planes can land at the airbase either to refuel or to unload there so that freight can be taken into Afghanistan overland.

Tashkent-based analyst Rovshan Nazarov does not believe the German presence at Termez will grow as a result of the deal signed in April. 

Other analysts, however, see the renewal of the base agreement is part of a broader rapprochment with the West on security matters. 

“It indicates that the Uzbek authorities are ready for broader military cooperation,” said an analyst working for a foreign company in Tashkent. 

Farhod Tolipov, an political analyst in Tashkent, added, ““The form taken by the western military presence in Uzbekistan has changed somewhat. The importance of Termez is increasing, operations will continue, and that indicates that some substantive actions are planned.”

One possibility, he said, was that Uzbekistan would grant the US rights to use a larger airfield at Navoi, capable of taking heavy cargo planes. 

“Officials have already expressed interest in this,” he added. 

On a recent visit to Navoi, US ambassador Richard Norland expressed interest in the airport’s infrastructure and capacity. 

This article was produced as part of IWPR’s News Briefing Central Asia output, funded by the National Endowment for Democracy.