MOSCOW, November 14 (RIA Novosti) - Monday's talks in the Kremlin between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his visiting Uzbek counterpart, Islam Karimov, culminated in an alliance agreement.
A Kremlin source said the new agreement, which paves the way for long-term cooperation in trade, security and other areas, was a logical follow-up to the 2004 strategic partnership treaty.
Summing up the talks at a news conference, President Putin said the accord would take the two nations "to the closest possible degree of interaction."
The alliance agreement aims to expand defense cooperation between Russia and Uzbekistan, including through the Shanghai Cooperation Organization - a regional security organization, which also includes three other former Soviet nations in Central Asia and China.
It provides for the mutual use of military facilities "to ensure security and maintain peace and stability if necessary."
The accord also envisages intelligence and expertise sharing for a more effective fight against terrorism and drug-related crimes, including against drug smuggling from across Afghanistan.
"We think there is a need to do everything possible to neutralize the narcotic and terrorist threat coming from Afghanistan, and we will of course continue to provide our neighbors with help in developing their economic and social infrastructure," Putin said.
The treaty also aims to boost trade and cooperation in sectors such as energy, food and agriculture, with Uzbekistan being one of Russia's major economic partners in Central Asia. According to President Putin, bilateral trade turnover grew threefold in 2004 to hit $1.5 billion and is set to top $2 billion this year.
At their Monday talks, the presidents discussed Uzbekistan's pending membership in the Eurasian Economic Community (Eurasec), targeting admission by year's end. Eurasec currently includes Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
Karimov told reporters that he wanted Russia's Central Asian presence strengthened. He said "consolidation of Russia's presence in Central Asia will be a reliable guarantee of peace and stability in the region," something that would benefit Russia as well as Uzbekistan and the rest of the world.
Russia's new alliance with the Uzbek leader is being forged amid Karimov's increasing isolation from the West, with U.S. and European leaders criticizing him for violently suppressing protests in the city of Andijan in May, and accusing him of many other human rights violations.
Uzbek authorities say the Andijan uprising was staged by Islamic radicals and that 187 people were killed in the violence, most of them militants. Western human rights groups say, however, that more than 700 people, mostly unarmed civilians, were killed.
