OREANDA-NEWS. June 12, 2007. President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov participated in the informal summit of the CIS leaders and the 11th International Economic Forum in Saint Petersburg in Saint Petersburg, reported the Presidential website www.gov.uz.

During the meetings, CIS leaders reaffirmed their commitment to reform of the CIS. The CIS informal summit brought together leaders from all twelve member-states. Aside from other issues on the agenda, leaders have focused on the CIS reform.

Islam Karimov met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 9.

The leaders noted the expending relations between two countries. Cooperation between our countries consistently develops and there is a strong legal basis for them which is the Agreement of Allied Relations signed by presidents Islam Karimov and Vladimir Putin in November, 2005.

The volume of trade turnover between our countries in the past year has increased and reached more than 3 billion US dollars that testifies about successful continuation of cooperation.

Over 450 joint ventures with participation of Russian investors are established in Uzbekistan. Uzbek investments are enclosed in 284 joint ventures functioning in the territories of Russia. Over 80 representations of Russian companies and firms opened in Uzbekistan.

Last year Russian market received more than one million tons of various agricultural products from Uzbekistan.

Our countries have great opportunities to expand relations in fuel and energy sector, metallurgy, communications, tourism and other spheres.

During the meeting Islam Karimov and Vladimir Putin discussed the issues of further developing the relations between two countries.

President Karimov met with President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguli Berdimukhamedov on June 9 in Saint Petersburg.

During the meeting the two leaders exchanged opinions on the state of Uzbek-Turkmen relations, discussed the cooperation in the region and improvement the economic cooperation between two countries.