The President of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, has rejected charges from the government of Tajikistan that it allowed rebel Tajik factions to use its territory to launch a recent rebellion in the north of the country.

In an impassioned speech, Mr. Karimov said if the accusations continued, Uzbekistan would have to protect its borders and introduce visas for citizens of Tajikistan.

He also accused Russian intelligence of some involvement, saying there were those who wanted to provoke friction between Tajiks and Uzbeks.