“I value our sincere trust-based dialogue, which helps to promote mutually-advantageous Russian-Uzbek cooperation, strengthen strategic partnership and allied relations of our countries,” the Russian leader said in a telephone conversation with the Uzbek president. Russian leader congratulated his Uzbek counterpart Islam Karimov on his 70th birthday.

“I am confident that your upcoming visit to Moscow will give a powerful impetus to a further development of bilateral relations, and a visible increase of practical effect from cooperation between Russia and Uzbekistan,” Putin stressed.