Same thing just seen from a different angle. This is the only conclusion to be drawn from the latest power shuffles in the upper echelons of state power in Uzbekistan.

Very many were caught absolutely unprepared by the promotion of Rustam Azimov, the man they had thought as good as finished, to the post of finance minister. The promotion left them flabbergasted, for that matter.

Making Azimov the finance minister, the president somehow forgot to relieve him of his previous duties - those of the minister of foreign economic ties. It makes Azimov twice a minister.

Moreover, Islam Karimov even forgot to relieve Finance Minister Saidakbar Rakhimov of his duties. That makes two finance ministers at once.

In other words, the Uzbek leader came up with something exotic again. Only he himself and a narrow circle of closest confidants know what all of it is about.

Let us nevertheless try and find an explanation to the quixotic escapade. How come the former senior deputy premier, someone very many in the corridors of power would have been happy to see gone for good, rises to the surface again and again is put in charge of the national finances? Answer to the question may be simpler than it appears.

Initiating another staff shuffle in the government, Karimov found himself short of personnel. There are no spare players, and there will be no spare players at least in the foreseeable future. The presidential circle itself did away with whoever so much as looked like he could become a rival, and with the possibility of appearance of strangers in the upper echelons of state power.

All Azimov's shortcomings notwithstanding, this ex-economist of the Collective Farm named after Julius Fucik has proven personally loyal to the president more than once already. Moreover, it was for his personal guarantees that Uzbekistan used to get loans from foreign banks.

Loans have to be paid back sooner or later. The West's reaction to the events in Andizhan and curtailment of financial aid to Uzbekistan from Europe and the United States conspired to make Azimov's return to the pinnacle practically inevitable. After all, the creditors have not made a fuss yet but they may demand the money once loaned to Tashkent to enable it to modernize national economy, any moment now. Should something smelly hit the financial fan, Azimov the trouble-shooter will be there to take care of it.

Unlike Rakhimov, Azimov speaks English and knows all creditors by their first names. That makes him a natural choice.