Central Asian summit meeting in Almaty

The presidents of four former Soviet republics have held a brief summit meeting of the Central Asian Economic Community in the southern Kazakh city of Almaty.

The meeting between the presidents of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan focussed on the threat to regional security posed by Islamic extremists.

They also discussed the conflict in Afghanistan and the illegal drugs trade.

Speaking after the meeting, the Uzbek president, Islam Karimov, called on the Central Asian neighbouring republics to act collectively to stop the region spiralling into chaos and unrest.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service