Putin signs federal law on ratification of Russian-Uzbek treaty

Itar-Tass May 11 Russian President Vladimir Putin signed on Thursday a federal law On the Ratification of the Treaty on Allied Relations between the Russian Federation and the Uzbek Republic, the Kremlin press service reported. The treaty was approved by the State Duma lower house of parliament on April 21, 2006, while the Federation Council upper house approved in on April 26, 2006. The treaty was signed in Moscow on November 14, 2005. It was signed with an aim to strengthen peace, increase stability as well as national, regional and international security on the basis of coordinated efforts and joint actions of the sides to remove a threat that arose to them. It is aimed at developing and strengthening cooperation in the political, economic, trade and humanitarian spheres in line with international law, the present treaty and the earlier signed bilateral and multi-lateral agreements. The enactment of the treaty will contribute to a long-term strengthening of Russia's military and economic positions in Uzbekistan, as well as in the Central Asian region, which is also important for Russia from the point of view of strategic interests.