The EU Council ordered a six-month suspension of the visa restrictions for the Uzbek state officials blamed for "disproportional use of force" in Andijan in May 2005.

EU ministers in the meantime voted to extend for another year the embargo on deliveries to Uzbekistan of "weapons, police gear, and dual-use technologies that might be used in domestic repressions." As for the visas, the communique emphasizes that the regime of visa sanctions is extended for another year but all restrictions are to be suspended for the period of the next six months "to encourage the Uzbek leadership to improve the situation in the human rights sphere in accordance with Uzbekistan's commitments."

The EU Council will meet again in spring 2008 to analyze the situation in Uzbekistan and the progress it will have made, if any, in meeting the EU demands (abolition of restrictions imposed on non-governmental organizations, free access to prisoners for representatives of international organizations, cooperation with the UN special envoy). Once the state of affairs is analyzed, the EU Council may either reinforce the visa restrictions for Uzbek state officials on the EU's back list or extend suspension of the visa restriction regime for another six month period. Odds are this extension of the suspension in spring will result in permanent abolition in autumn, ITAR-TASS news agency reported.

Addressing international conference "Central Asia and Europe: New Cooperation and Partnership in the 21st Century" in Berlin, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier urged Europe to enliven cooperation with Central Asian countries.

Oil- and gas-wealthy, these countries come to play a more and more important role in international affairs, Steinmeier said. Moreover, economic development of the region proceeds at a rate faster than the global average.

Approximately 150 politicians and businessmen from EU countries, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Tajikistan attended the conference in the German capital, Xinhua news agency reported.