Vladimir Putin: Dear Islam Abduganievich [Karimov]!
Allow me to greet you warmly. It is very pleasant for me to see that our relations are developing most actively, both in the political and economic spheres. Moreover, this is happening not only in the energy sector but other areas as well. The volume of trade is growing. Of course, here there are many questions still to resolve. And it is for this reason that I am very glad to welcome you to Moscow.
High-level visits are always productive and act as a good impulse for the development of bilateral ties. Of course, most importantly, today we will sign the Agreement on Allied Relations Between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Uzbekistan. This is a major new step towards developing bilateral ties and will create a very good legal base for the multiple aspects of our cooperation.