Russian, Uzbek Presidents Expected To Sign Treaty

Uzbek President Islam Karimov (file photo) (AFP) 14 November 2005 -- The Russian and Uzbek presidents, Vladimir Putin and Islam Karimov, are expected to hold talks in the Kremlin in Moscow today.

Russian reports quote a Kremlin source as saying the meeting is expected to include the signing of a treaty on "allied relations" between Russia and Uzbekistan.

The document is said to set the foundation for long-term cooperation between the two countries, building on a strategic partnership treaty the two sides signed in 2004.

The Russian and Uzbek presidents are expected to discuss ways of deepening military and military-technical cooperation, and to exchange views on the situation in Central Asia.

(ITAR-TASS/Interfax)