Moscow, Russia–Tashkent, Uzbekistan: Russian President Vladimir Putin has reached capital of Uzbekistan Tashkent for talks with President of Uzbekistan on Wednesday.
According to Russian Presodent office, Vladimir Putin, who is on an official visit to Uzbekistan, is holding talks with President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov after an official welcome ceremony. The visit is expected to see the signing of an agreement on the main areas for developing and deepening economic cooperation between Russia and Uzbekistan over 2015-2019. “They will also discuss the issue of expanding the supplies of agricultural produce from Uzbekistan in connection with the U.S. and European Union’s sanctions,” – presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said
TASS news agency reports:
During Putin’s visit the sides also plan to settle the question of Uzbekistan’s debt that has already increased to $890 million with interest. President Vladimir Putin and his Uzbek counterpart Islam Karimov are expected to sign a particular agreement during the Russian leader’s official visit to Uzbekistan’s capital Tashkent on Wednesday.
The document envisages “a discount in the sum of Uzbekistan’s debt, clearing the debt in a single payment, and then all the issues can be finally considered as settled,” Ushakov said.
Russia and Uzbekistan have cordial diplomatic relations since 1992. Uzbekistan was once a former Soviet Socialist republic. It still has strong ties to Russia. Both presidents Islam Karimov and Vladimir Putin signed a mutual cooperation agreement in Moscow in November 2005. Uzbekistan has an embassy in Moscow and Russia has an embassy in Tashkent. Uzbekistan opted to withdraw from the CSTO alliance in 2012 that was considered as a shift in its foreign policy however, Uzbekistan remains a part of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, of which both Russia and China are part of, and of which it is the only non-founding member.
