First of all, I would like to express my gratitude for the opportunity to speak before such a distinguished audience.

The end of the Cold War has dramatically changed the structure and the logic of the world order. The disappearance of the military-political deterrence of two super powers led to the times when military power is not the only decisive factor of a state's capability to play an important role in international environment. Now economic interests are placed on the top of national strategies. Issues of control and access to strategic resources, new markets and technologies are becoming of priority significance for the countries.

In this regard, future of Central Asia would largely depend on the measures which countries of the region in cooperation with the international community would undertake to fight threats, prevent crisis development, contribute to building stable regional and global economic systems.

The Republic of Uzbekistan has joined the GUAM in April 1999 mainly because activities of this group grew up beyond its original purposes while aiming to enhance regional economic cooperation through development of the Europe-Caucasus-Asia transport corridor.

Republic of Uzbekistan is double land locked country, and the only country in the world, which is located as far from the nearest port on the way as 3 thousand km.

Development and modernization of the obsolete structure of economy requires an intergration to a world economy which, in turn, implies effective use of the available resources found plentiful in Uzbekistan.

I would like to touch briefly an oil and gas potential of Uzbekistan.

The existing hydrocarbon reserves of Uzbekistan are estimated to be close to 1 trillion USD. There are more than 160 oil and gas deposits in five oil and gas-containing regions of the country with 92 of them already being exploited. Uzbekistan has approx. 350 million tons of proven oil reserves.

Estimated gas reserves of the republic are over 4000 billion cubic meters while proven reserves are over 2500 billion cubic meters.

Therefore, it is in great interest of the Republic to support implementation of the various transportation corridors in the region.

To this end, Uzbekistan in May 1996 signed an agreement with Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkmenistan. It was the first step in developing the Trans-Caucasus route.

In 1998 Republic of Uzbekistan, together with Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Kazakhstan signed the Ankara Declaration. This Declaration not only asserts the preference for the Baku-Ceyhan route over other options. In our opinion a pipeline network means not merely transportation of energy resources to the world market, but also a linkage between the region and the rest of the world.

All this resulted in 2000 the export of petroleum grew up to 400 thousand tons, diesel oil to 700 thousands tons, fuel oil to 200 thousands tons, aviation fuel to 150 thousands tons, natural gas to 9 billion cubic meters and liquid gas to 40 thousand cubic meters. Oil and gas products are basically exported through railways. In this respect, it necessitates the creation of various transportation infrastructure in Central Asia and Caucasus, including different pipeline systems, that would promote the development not only of oil and gas sector but also the economies as a whole. Therefore, it is quite natural that emergence of economic dimension in the GUUAM activities has attracted a keen interest in Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan is not a net consumer of emerging routes, it may contribute by a well-developed gas pipeline system, with nine main gas pipelines running a total length of 8500 miles. Another significant element in Uzbekistan's industrial infrastructure is the system of transportation. The republic has the highest density of road and railroad networks in Central Asia. Railroad connections extend nearly 4200 miles, and much of this is supplied with electric power.

As a member of Central Asian Integration Union, Shanghai Cooperation Organization and GUUAM, Uzbekistan could play significant role in integrating efforts of Central Asian countries and countries of the South Caucasus in promoting regional cooperation on various issues, from energy and goods transportation to fighting with international terrorism and illegal drug trafficking, the challenges which become more and more threatening in scale and create barriers for the course of economic and democratic reforms, negatively affecting to the stability, security and sovereignty of, not only Uzbekistan, but also other countries of region.

Thank you for your attention.