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Russia, Uzbekistan mull cooperation, ink documents

28 April 2016 12:06 (UTC+04:00)
Russia, Uzbekistan mull cooperation, ink documents

By Aynur Karimova

Important directions and prospects of developing the strategic partnership between Moscow and Tashkent were high on the agenda of talks held between Vladimir Putin of Russia and Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan.

The discussions were held as part of President Karimov's two-day official visit to Russia on April 25-26, Uzbekistan's national information agency reported.

During the meeting held between the two presidents, the sides mulled the development of cooperation in the political, trade, economic, investment, military-technical, cultural humanitarian and other fields.

They also exchanged views on actual problems of regional and international importance, in particular, the problems existing in Afghanistan, fight against terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking, as well as organized crime.

Karimov said that this visit is an opportunity for comprehensive exchange of views on topical issues of regional and international importance, and it will give a new impetus to further development of relations between the two countries.

Putin, in turn, said that Uzbekistan is a strategic partner and a reliable ally of Russia, and these ties are dynamically developing.

Putin and Karimov also discussed increase of trade turnover between Russian and Uzbekistan, development of investment cooperation, expansion of ties in the transport and transit fields, and exchanged views on the issues of expansion of interaction in the culture, science, education, sport and tourism fields.

Cooperation between Russia and Uzbekistan is based on a solid legal base. Relations between the two countries have been developing within the framework of the signed Agreement on Strategic Partnership (2004) and the Treaty on Allied Relations (2005).

Trade-economic cooperation has a special place in the Moscow-Tashkent ties. Russia is Uzbekistan's second largest foreign trade partner. Uzbekistan exports transport equipment, cotton fiber, tricots, fruit and vegetables, black and ferrous metals, as well as services. Russia, in turn, exports the products of chemical and paper industry, as well as food products.

Currently, over 900 joint ventures established jointly with Russia operate in Uzbekistan. Also, some 85 Russian companies have opened their representative offices in this Central Asian state.

Today, the two countries are developing investment cooperation. In recent years, over $6 billion was invested by Russia in the Uzbek economy.

During the talks, Putin and Karimov agreed to boost the volume and variety of exports of Uzbek fruit and vegetables.

The milestone of Karimov's visit to Moscow was signing of an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in export of military goods to third countries.

Also, the foreign ministries of the two countries signed a program of cooperation for 2016-2017.

An intergovernmental program of cooperation in cultural and humanitarian fields for 2016-2018, a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of physical culture and sports, and an agreement on scientific and academic cooperation between the Bauman Moscow State Technical University and Tashkent Institute of Railway Transport Engineers were among the signed documents.

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