"I hope that your authority, energy and commitment will continue to be a sure guarantee for Uzbekistan’s continued social and economic development and the strengthening of its international position," said the president’s message.

"It is pleasing that a relationship of strategic partnership and cooperation continues to expand between Russia and Uzbekistan, based on traditional friendship, equality of rights, and respect for each other’s interests. Our rich and trust-based dialogue is facilitating the successful resolution of a whole series of issues in Russian-Uzbek cooperation, as well as the development of agreed positions on the majority of international issues. I am convinced that this cooperation will serve the interests of our countries in the future too, and will support stability in the Central Asian region," the message added.