Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Jan. 25 / Trend D. Azizov /
On Jan. 24, Uzbek President Islam Karimov visited the NATO headquarters and met with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. The meeting demonstrated the general interest of the parties in the further development of a constructive partnership between Uzbekistan and the alliance, the National News Agency of Uzbekistan (UzA) reported.
During the talks, the sides exchanged views on the current state and prospects of developing relations between Uzbekistan and NATO, UzA reported.
Cooperation within an individual partnership program, the process of planning decisions, countering threats to the nonproliferation of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, and strengthening interaction in combating terrorism and drug trafficking were named as priorities.
The search for alternative ways to achieve peace and stability in that country given the extremely difficult situation in Afghanistan was also stressed. A 6 +3 contact group composed of representatives of Afghanistan's neighboring countries, as well as the United States, NATO and Russia, will be created under the U.N. and may play an important role, the parties agreed.
The NATO secretary general noted Uzbekistan's significant contribution to Afghanistan's socioeconomic development.
Karimov's visit to Brussels demonstrated the mutual interest of the EU and NATO in expanding cooperation with Uzbekistan in various fields based on equality and a mutually beneficial partnership, UzA reported.
Karimov made the visit upon the invitation of European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on Monday.
Uzbekistan joined the North Atlantic Cooperation Council in December 1991 (Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council - EAPC from 1997), and the NATO Partnership for Peace in 1994.
Uzbekistan participates in the work of separate NATO committees in the format of Euro Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC), including the Committee on Political Affairs and the Partnership and the Committee on Science for Peace, in consultations on Afghanistan in the format "26 +5."
In April 2008, Karimov attended the NATO / EAPC summit in Bucharest. He voiced an initiative to create the "6 +3" to achieve peace and stability in Afghanistan with NATO.