President Attends CSTO and CIS Summits

      President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov partook in the jubilee session of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and informal meeting of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Moscow on May 15.
     The CSTO Collective Security Council session started in the Kremlin with a meeting of heads of state in restricted format, followed by one that included wider delegations escorting the leaders of member nations.
     The session has been timed to the twentieth anniversary of Tashkent Collective Security Treaty and the tenth birth date of the Organization.
     The CSTO affiliate countries have endured a taxing path throughout this past period in shaping a collective security system. They have hoarded a sufficient experience for practical interaction in addressing a broad range of issues in the post-Soviet space.
     Founded in 2002, the CSTO has facilitated a qualitatively new level of cooperation among member nations. Goals and tasks of the Organization have been extending to include countering terrorism, arms and drug trafficking, organized transnational crime.
     Given the peculiarities of currently intricate political, military-political and economic trends in the region and the wider world in general that have had a direct impact on the vital interests of the peoples, President Islam Karimov voiced proposals on CSTO prospects.
     He noted in particular that Uzbekistan sees the CSTO designation primarily as defense of its members from external threats. President Karimov stated that the effectiveness of this association and its further development is contingent on adherence to the principle of harmony and concurrence of interests among constituent nations.
Following the session, the heads of state adopted a Declaration and a number of other documents.
     This same day, leaders of CIS participant countries gathered for an informal meeting of the Council of Heads of State.
     Uzbekistan has regarded the Commonwealth of Independent States as an association of sovereign nations interested in creating an environment friendly to multilateral cooperation.
     The Commonwealth is designed to play a coordinating role for a multilayered interaction and serve as a platform for direct inter-state communication and dialogue, including bilateral meetings of various levels.
     During today’s session, the leaders of CIS nations exchanged views on prospects of bolstering interaction within the group.
     As part of his visit to Moscow, President Islam Karimov also held bilateral talks with President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.
     The head of Uzbekistan congratulated Vladimir Putin on a successful electoral campaign and election as Russia’s President.
     The two sides agreed that a constant negotiations process is essential amid the swiftly changing situation in the world – a political dialogue, predominantly on the highest level, and elaboration of coordinated positions for weathering the emerging challenges and threats and addressing the many pressing issues in international security.
The figures pertinent to bilateral economic cooperation can be deemed rather telling. For instance, the trade turnout between our two nations reached 6.7 billion US dollars last year in contrast to the 6.4 billion dollars in 2010. This key area still has extensive opportunities in need of cashing in, for the most part by diversification of trade and enhancement of investment cooperation.
     In his turn, Vladimir Putin said that Uzbekistan’s remarkable potential in diverse areas is regarded high in Russia and is seen as one of pivotal nations in the region. The ages-old bonds of friendship are a good backbone for moving forward with a pace and quality required by our times.
     During the meeting, our two leaders thoroughly discussed the prospects of bilateral relations and other topics of shared interest.

UzA,  16 May 2012