1. SUMMARY: UZBEKISTAN IS CELEBRATING ITS FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF INDEPENDENCE WITH A MONTH'S WORTH OF ACTIVITIES THAT ACCENTUATE THE COUNTRY'S PLACE ON THE REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL STAGE. THE LINEUP INCLUDES THE USUAL INDEPENDENCE DAY FESTIVITIES, THREE INTERNATIONAL SPORTING EVENTS, AND TWO MAJOR LNTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES. INTERNATIONAL VISITORS MAY FIND A NEW HOTEL THE GREATEST CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION -- IF THEY CAN FIND ROOMS. END SUMMARY.
2. TASHKENT FESTOONED ITSELF IN FLAGS, SLOGANS, AND BANNERS TO CELEBRATE ITS FOURTH INDEPENDENCE DAY ON SEPTEMBER 1. THIS YEAR, MANY OF THE BANNERS TRUMPETED THE "TURKESTAN - OUR COMMON HOME" THEME, PARTLY IN HONOR OF THE CENTRAL ASIAN GAMES (SEE BELOW). MAJOR PUBLIC WORKS -- INCLUDING THE REFURBISHMENT OF TAMERLANE'S STATUE IN FRONT OF THE HOTEL UZBEKISTAN -- WERE ACCELERATED TO BEAUTIFY THE CITY FOR THE EVENT. YURI GAGARIN'S STATUE WAS MOVED TO THE MORE EUROPEAN-ORIGIN "RAYON" OF CHILANZAR, AND HIS PLACE IN THE PUBLIC PARK OPPOSITE THE PRESIDENT'S OFFICE WAS RE- LANDSCAPED, WITH NEW, UN-SOVIET FOUNTAINS.
3. THE OFFICIAL INDEPENDENCE DAY CEREMONIES AND OTHER ACTIVITIES WERE HELD ON INDEPENDENCE SQUARE AUGUST 31 - SEPTEMBER 1. HOWEVER, THIS YEAR, ALL OF SEPTEMBER IS GIVEN OVER TO EVENTS THAT SEEK TO PUBLICIZE UZBEKISTAN'S PROMINENT PLACE IN THE REGION AND THE WORLD.
4. THE FIRST EVENT HELD WAS THE SECOND ANNUAL PRESIDENT'S CUP INTERNATIONAL TENNIS TOURNAMENT, FROM AUGUST 28-SEPTEMBER 2. WHILE THE REST OF THE TENNIS WORLD'S EYES WERE TURNED TO THE U.S. OPEN IN NEW YORK, UZBEKISTAN'S EYES WERE ON THE MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR TENNIS FACILITY BUILT AT THE PRESIDENT'S BEHEST LAST YEAR. THE TOURNAMENT RECEIVED ASSOCIATION OF TENNIS PROFESSIONALS (ATP) SATELLITE TOURNAMENT STATUS THIS YEAR, AND FEATURED PLAYERS RANKED BETWEEN 50 AND 500 IN THE WORLD. NEAR THE END OF THE MONTH, UZBEKISTAN WILL HOST CHINA FOR DAVIS CUP PLAY.
5. THE CEREMONIAL OPENING OF THE INAUGURAL CENTRAL ASIAN GAMES TOOK PLACE SEPTEMBER 2, WITH PRESIDENT KARIMOV AND INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE PRESIDENT JUAN ANTONIO SAMARANCH IN ATTENDANCE. THIS REGIONAL "MINI OLYMPICS" RAN UNTIL SEPTEMBER 9, AND INCLUDED ATHLETES FROM KAZAKSTAN, KYRGYZSTAN, TAJIKISTAN, TURKMENISTAN, AND UZBEKISTAN. COMPETITIONS WERE HELD IN TWELVE SPORTS: FREESTYLE AND TRADITIONAL CENTRAL ASIAN WRESTLING, SWIMMING, BASKETBALL, VOLLEYBALL, TRACK AND FIELD, FENCING, SHOOTING, BICYCLING, WEIGHTLIFTING, BOXING, AND TENNIS. WHILE RUSSIAN IS THE REAL COMMON LANGUAGE, EVEN FOR SOME MEMBERS OF UZBEKISTAN'S TEAM, ALL OF THE SIGNS ABOUT THE GAMES WERE IN UZBEK AND ENGLISH SO THOSE PARTICIPATING ATHLETES AND OFFICIALS WHO SPOKE NEITHER LANGUAGE MAY NOT EVEN HAVE KNOWN THEY WERE BEING WELCOMED!
6. APART FROM THE SPORTING EVENTS, SEPTEMBER WILL BE TIME FOR MORE SERIOUS REGIONAL TOPICS: REGIONAL SECURITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT. THE PREPCOM FOR THE TASHKENT REGIONAL SEMINAR ON SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN CENTRAL ASIA WAS HELD SEPTEMBER 5-6, AND WILL BE FOLLOWED BY THE FULL SEMINAR SEPTEMBER 15-16. A LINEUP OF REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPANTS IN EXPECTED, CHIEFLY TO DISCUSS THE PROBLEMS OF TAJIKISTAN AND AFGHANISTAN.
7. AFTER THE SECURITY CONFERENCE COMES THE ARAL SEA CONFERENCE IN NUKUS, KARAKALPAKSTAN, SEPTEMBER 18-20. EVEN WITHOUT VICE PRESIDENT GORE, THE GOU AND THE UN EXPECT HIGH-LEVEL PARTICIPATION, INCLUDING THE PRESIDENTS OF ALL FIVE CENTRAL ASIAN STATES.
8. AND WHERE WILL ALL THESE VISITORS STAY? WELL, IN TASHKENT THAT MAY BE THE BIGGEST CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION. ON AUGUST 26, THE GOU OPENED THE DOORS OF THE INDIAN-BUILT, "TATA" HOTEL TO GUESTS. THE ROOMS MAY BE SMALLER THAN WESTERN STANDARDS, THE BEDS UNFORTUNATELY CONSISTENT WITH SOVIET STANDARDS, AND THE STAFF STAND-BYS FROM THE HOTEL UZBEKISTAN. NEVERTHELESS, THE HOTEL IS CLEAN, BRIGHT, AND AIRY. UNFORTUNATELY, ONLY 150 OF THE HOTEL'S 600 ROOMS ARE OPEN SO FAR, WITH THE REST DUE TO OPEN "WITHIN A YEAR." SO PROSPECTIVE TASHKENT VISITORS WILL WANT TO BOOK FAST.