DUSHANBE, December 10, 2014, Asia-Plus – Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Uzbekistan on an official visit.
Russian media source report it is expected that the talks at the highest level will address key issues in the continued development of Russian-Uzbek strategic partnership, first and foremost in trade, investment, culture and humanitarian sectors.
Itar-Tass quoted Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov as saying that Putin during his visit to Tashkent will discuss with his Uzbek counterpart Islam Karimov prospects for boosting the Uzbek agricultural supplies to Russia “in connection with the U.S. and European Union’s sanctions.”
During Putin’s visit the sides also plan to settle the question of Uzbekistan’s debt that has already increased to $890 million with interest.
Putin and Karimov are reportedly expected to sign a particular agreement. The document envisages “a discount in the sum of Uzbekistan’s debt, clearing the debt in a single payment, and then all the issues can be finally considered as settled,” Ushakov said.
Uzbekistan’s debt comprises the primary amount of $500 million and the rest of the sum is the interest accrued.
“The decision will allow Russia and Uzbekistan to boost bilateral cooperation, including “opening new loans in particular in the sphere of arms trade,” Ushakov said.
“It is most important that during the visit the countries will close the issue of mutual financial claims. This question has been affecting to an extent development of the trade and economic relations, especially cooperation in the financial sphere,” he said. “Now, we have agreed preliminary and practically that we are approaching an intergovernmental agreement, which offers a discount of the debt and settlement of the remaining debt by one payment. After that, mutual claims in this sensitive issue would be considered as settled finally. Thus, we are opening new opportunities for development of the trade and economic ties. Including also development of the Russian military and technical presence in Uzbekistan, which would mean also supplies on the basis of partly loans of weaponry and modern military equipment.”
During Putin’s visit, the parties are expected to discuss further development of the Russian-Uzbek strategic partnership, primarily in the trade, investment, cultural and humanitarian spheres.
The sides are also expected to exchange views on issues related to regional security and the situation in Afghanistan.
Ushakov said that the sides were planning for signing four documents – an intergovernmental agreement on the settlement of mutual financial claims and obligations, an agreement on the principal directions of the development and deepening of economic co-operation between Russia and Uzbekistan for 2015 – 2019, an interdepartmental protocol on the exchange of the results of analysis of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances seized from illegal turnover, as well as the program of cooperation between Several bilateral agreements are also expected to be signed following the talks.
The leaders will also discuss problems around the stopped supplies of Uzbekistan’s gas to Kyrgyzstan’s southern regions, intergovernmental disputes in use of water resources in Central Asia.
“Uzbekistan demonstrates interest to the Eurasian Economic Union. This will be another topic on the agenda of the visit,” the Russian presidential aide said.
We will recall that Putin and Karimov last met in Dushanbe in September.
