Putin arrives in Uzbekistan for state visit

Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Uzbekistan for a state visit.

The Russian leader is scheduled to hold talks on Friday with his Uzbek counterpart Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Tashkent. The two presidents plan to sign a number of bilateral documents and also attend the Russian-Uzbek forum on interregional cooperation.

Besides, the leaders will jumpstart the construction of the first nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan by Russia’s state-run corporation Rosatom in a video conference mode. According to Kremlin Aide Yuri Ushakov, the ceremony would be one of key elements of the Russian leader’s visit to Tashkent.

Last time Putin paid a visit to Uzbekistan in June 2016. He also arrived in the Central Asian country in September that year to pay tribute to the country’s late first President Islam Karimov.

Mirziyoyev paid a state visit to Russia in April 2017. Since September 2016, the two presidents have had six meetings, including the previous one in late September at the summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

Last year, Russian-Uzbek trade grew 34% to $3.7 bln, and in January-July 2018 trade turnover exceeded the levels of the similar period of last year by 32.1%.

Russia mainly imports from Uzbekistan textiles, food, agricultural raw materials, chemical industry goods, rubber, equipment and vehicles. Russia’s accrued investments in Uzbekistan’s economy have reached $8.7bln. Such Russian companies as Lukoil, Gazprom and Vympelkom are working in the country.