MOSCOW. Dec 17 (Interfax) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will discuss trade and economic cooperation issues with his Uzbek counterpart during a visit to Uzbekistan on December 17-18.
"Negotiations with Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov are expected to address key topics facing bilateral relations, Russian-Uzbek cooperation in foreign policy, trade and business and its prospects. The sides will also exchange opinions on important international problems, including ways to maintain stability and security in Central Asia and responses to new challenges and threats," the Russian Foreign Ministry said on its website earlier.
The sides will also exchange opinions on key international problems, including issues of guaranteeing stability and security in Central Asia, resisting new challenges and threats.
During the visit, Lavrov is expected to be received by Uzbek President Islam Karimov.
"Russia and Uzbekistan have been building their relations as allies based on the principles of strategic partnership. Uzbekistan remains one of Russia's major trade partners in Central Asia and the fourth biggest partner among CIS countries. The Russian Federation, for its part, is the republic's largest trade partner," the ministry said.
The leaders of the two countries are engaged in dialogue based on the principles of mutual interest and trust, it said. During the official visit to Uzbekistan by President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin on June 4, 2012, the two countries signed a declaration pledging to broaden their strategic partnership.
"The president's decision to pay one of his first foreign visits to Tashkent reaffirms Central Asia's place in the upper part of the scale of our foreign policy priorities," the ministry said.