Uzbek President: Only Joint Efforts Can Counter International Terror, Religious Extremism

Only joint efforts can counter international terror and expanding radical religious extremism, said Uzbek President Islam Karimov opening face-to-face negotiations with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Karimov underscored that today's talks primarily met the interests of Uzbekistan, which aspires to prevent a repeat of the 1999-2000 events, when bandit formations invaded Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzia. He spoke of the need for thwarting a new expansion of terrorist and other formations. The Uzbek leader has emphasised once again that Russia is interested in peace on its southern borders.