POLITICS
DEFENCE MINISTER OF FRANCE VISITED UZBEKISTAN
President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov received the Defense Minister of France Michael Allio-Marrini in his palace. Speaking of the mutual relations between both countries, I. Karimov stated that he highly appreciates the ties with France, which has its interests in the region of Central Asia. Defense Minister noted that France pays a special attention on the development of relations with Uzbekistan, adding that this State plays a vital role in the field of security and stability in the Central Asia. In the course of conversation, the sides focused on the issues of bilateral French-Uzbek military-technical cooperation, also touching upon ties between the NATO and Uzbekistan, problems of the regional security and rehabilitation of Afghanistan.