TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, Sept. 30 (UPI) -- Uzbek Foreign Minister Vladimir Norov has criticized the hydroelectric policies of neighboring nations.

Regnum Novosti reported Wednesday that Norov's comments were directed at the plans of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to construct additional hydroelectric facilities on the headwaters of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers, which originate on their territory before flowing westwards through Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.

Uzbekistan, now the world's second-largest cotton exporter and fifth-largest producer, depends on regular water discharges from Kyrgyz and Tajik hydroelectric facilities during the growing season to ensure its crops, but the two upriver nations, increasingly beset by power shortages, have during the last two years been hoarding water to generate electricity during winter months, wreaking havoc on downstream states' agriculture.

Norov said, "Today, there are attempts to attract investments for construction of two more major hydroelectric power stations -- Roghun on the Amu Darya and Kambar-Ata on the Syr Darya. These projects do not take into consideration the fact that glaciers of Pamir and Tian-Shan mountains, which are the sources of water for the above rivers, are disappearing every year and, what is more important, these projects do not also take into account tragic consequences of possible man-made disasters on this seismically dangerous region."

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