Uzbek President Islam Karimov received on Wednesday Kuwait’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Shaykh Muhammad Sabah al-Salim al-Sabah at the presidential residence Oqsaroy and discussed bilateral ties.

During the meeting, they mulled over ways and means of promoting bilateral cooperation and several issues of mutual concern.

President Islam Karimov said: "I am very glad to welcome you in the Uzbek land. I would like to use this opportunity to express on my own and our people’s behalf deep respect for you personally and in your person to our friend, Kuwaiti Emir Shaykh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah. In January 2004, an Uzbek delegation visited Kuwait. We still recall those impressions of the visit. We recognize Kuwait as a rapidly developing state with great potential not only in the Arab world but also in the world. We are observing how Kuwait under the leadership of its Emir is carrying out wise and well thought-out foreign policy. We fully support it."

Earlier on Wednesday, the Kuwaiti minister held talks with Uzbek Foreign Minister Vladimir Norov, during which they inked a memorandum of understanding on bilateral consultations between both Kuwaiti and Uzbek ministries of foreign affairs.

Al-Sabah met with Speaker of Uzbekistan’s legislative chamber Erkin Khalilov.

Accompanied by Bahraini foreign minister Shaykh Khalid Bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, the Kuwaiti foreign minister is here as part of a tour that will also take him to South Korea.

Both Kuwaiti and Bahraini foreign ministers attended the meetings of the Asian-Uzbek cooperation dialogue forum, and are expected to head for Azerbaijan on Thursday.