Russia supports Uzbekistan's fight against terrorism

Interfax April 15 Russian president Vladimir Putin has confirmed his country's support of Uzbekistan's fight against terrorism. "Uzbekistan can count on Russia's comprehensive and unconditional support in its fight against any manifestations of terrorism," Putin said before talks with his Uzbek counterpart Islam Karimov on Thursday. "Today it is difficult to single out a continent or a state which has not witnessed any tragic events. Terrorist forces are regrouping today. They are acting faster than the anti-terrorism coalition. They are finding weak points, changing their tactics and launching strikes," Karimov said. Karimov said that not enough is being done today to counter terrorism. "We need to move quicker to establish contacts and find compromises with those who are against terrorism and who realize that it poses a threat to all of mankind. We should accelerate our joint efforts in countering this evil. The world is becoming more vulnerable now," the Uzbek president said. Karimov underscored the importance of Russia's stance on the fight against terrorism and said that he "understands the leaders who go to Russia to measure their countries' progress in this issue and compare their positions." "We have a great deal to talk about," he added. Putin said that apart from the anti-terrorism fight, he would also like to discuss economic issues, praising a 2% rise in the countries' trade turnover over the past 18 months. Russia remains a key trade and business partner for Uzbekistan, he said.