Russian news agency Interfax
June 7

ussian President Vladimir Putin has noted positive trends in Russia's relationship with Uzbekistan.

He reported at a meeting with his Uzbek counterpart Islam Karimov today that trade turnover between the two countries reached about 1bn dollars. Putin called this a positive sign and "a significant growth".

He also said that Russia was putting into practice the idea of creating a joint chamber of commerce. Such a chamber has already been formed and is working.

Reiterating that Uzbekistan is a priority for Russia in Central Asia, the president reported that Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Khristenko had been put in charge of an intergovernmental commission on cooperation with Uzbekistan. Putin voiced hope that bilateral cooperation "will be gathering momentum".

Karimov echoed Putin's view by saying that positive processes in bilateral ties "are seen by the naked eye".

Karimov also welcomed Putin's attitude towards the Shanghai Cooperation Organization [SCO]. The SCO can be highly instrumental in resolving such conflicts as the one between India and Pakistan, the Uzbek president said.

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