The relevant bill was passed by a majority vote at the session on March 28. The president is expected to sign it in the near future. The deputies supported Uzbekistan's accession to the agreement with a reservation that the republic will not make changes to national legislation. This requirement is contained in Article 4 of the document ('harmonization of the national legislation of the parties in the area of liability for illegal migrants and for all categories of persons facilitating illegal migration').
Sadik Safayev, head of the Senate committee on foreign policy, said at the session: 'The adoption of the agreement is necessary within the framework of cooperation with CIS countries, including in the fight against drug crimes, terrorism and other offenses, for which illegal migration is a source of personnel.'
The cooperation agreement was signed in Moscow on March 6, 1998, by nine CIS states (except Georgia, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan). Its participants must exchange information about channels of illegal migration, changes in national legislation concerning migration, and agreements in this area with third countries. They also commit to cooperating in the field of migration control and jointly developing mechanisms for the deportation of illegal immigrants. Russia ratified the agreement in 2000, Lenta.ru recalls.
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