Uzbek President Calls On Russia To Invest In Uzbek Economy

President Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan has called on Russia to invest in the Uzbek economy. Speaking at the extended high-level Russo-Uzbek talks in Moscow, Karimov said that the formation of joint enterprises in Uzbekistan and Russian investment in the Uzbek economy were the key aspect of development of bilateral trade-economic relations. According to the Uzbek President, Russia should be interested in conquering this market, since Uzbekistan is "the centre of the whole Central Asia and a gate to the East." Karimov spoke out for giving up traditional and, as he put it, "conservative" principles in bilateral trade contacts which, over decades, have been keeping intact the two countries' list of exported goods.