.Russia, Uzbekistan presidents satisfied with negotiations.

20/4 Tass 361

MOSCOW, April 20 (Itar-Tass) -- The presidents of Russia and
Uzbekistan are satisfied with the negotiations and are ready to bring the
bilateral relations on a higher level of cooperation.
Upon the results of the meeting the Russian president stated, "A
broader strategic partnership with Uzbekistan meets Russia's long-term
interests." "According to our statistics, the trade with Uzbekistan went
down to 2.5 billion dollars, but according to the Uzbek side, practically
no downturn was observed. Anyway, we have all reasons to exert efforts to
diversify bilateral cooperation," Medvedev said.
"The cooperation in the struggle against illegal migration, money
laundering and terrorism financing is also important. We intend to step up
the coordination of actions between the law enforcement agencies and the
migration agencies of Russia and Uzbekistan," he said. The Russian
president recalled, "The Russian side fulfilled the ratification
procedures under the intergovernmental agreement on labour activity and
the protection of the rights of labour migrants." This document entered
into force in June 2009.
Speaking on humanitarian cooperation, Medvedev stated that he "praises
the position of the Uzbek leadership, particularly on the attitude to the
Russian language, which is broadly studied at schools and higher
educational establishments, this approach allows Uzbek friends to orient
freely in the information space of Russia and the CIS states, brings our
peoples closer." "But we also should take efforts in this sphere, apply
the satellite capabilities as we do so for other our partners," the
Russian leader said.
For his part, Uzbek President Islam Karimov reiterated that his
negotiations with Dmitry Medvedev "were very detailed and absolutely
frank." "These negotiations were to take place that shows the level of our
cooperation and that our relations have a very solid basis," he said.
The joint statement signed by the presidents also notes "mutual
interests in investment cooperation." "The countries intend to contribute
to the soonest construction of highways on the international route E-40,
which will run through the free industrial economic zone Navoi, and
Uzbekistan called for involving Russia in the development of this zone,"
the document runs.
The two presidents agreed to develop cooperation within international
organizations. Specifically, they "called for further development of
cooperation within the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) for
the interests of all CSTO member-countries." Medvedev and Karimov stressed
in the statement that "the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) turned
into a weighty factor on the international scene, turned into a structure
enjoying deserved authority in the world that shows a growing number of
countries seeking to enter the SCO."
The current situation in Afghanistan is assessed separately in the
statement. "Without the solution to such pressing problems as the
restoration of the economy, communications and social infrastructure
destroyed in the war, the solution to the unemployment problem and the
achievement of national accord the situation in Afghanistan cannot be
changed for the better," the document said. "In the context of the
discussion on Afghan drug threat Russia and Uzbekistan called for building
up cooperation in the struggle against the production and trafficking of
drugs," the joint statement runs.
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