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Uzbekistan, Russia to deepen strategic partnership

05 June 2012 03:48 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Uzbekistan and Russia signed a document to deepen strategic partnership here on Monday, APA reports quoting Xinhua .

The declaration on deepening strategic partnership between the two sides was signed by Uzbek President Islam Karimov and visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Russia views the development of relations with Uzbekistan as one of its diplomatic priorities in Central Asia, Putin said during a meeting with Karimov.

The two leaders signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Uzbekistan’s accession to an agreement on a free trade zone within the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). According to the MOU, Uzbekistan will join the free trade zone pact by the end of this year.

The two sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern.

Russia is Uzbekistan’s largest trading partner. The two-way trade volume between the two countries reached 4 billion U.S. dollars in 2011.

Uzbekistan declared independence in 1991 after the disintegration of the Soviet Union. Russia established diplomatic relations with Uzbekistan in March 1992.