Uzbek President Islam Karimov expressed satisfaction with current state and positive development of bilateral relations, corresponding to partnership and mutual understating, UzA reported.

James Steinberg, in his turn, expressed gratitude to the President Islam Karimov for warm reception. He confirmed readiness of the US for further strengthening and developing mutual beneficial cooperation between Uzbekistan and the USA.

Steinberg underlined constructive character of Uzbekistan’s policy in keeping and strengthening peace in the region. He praised weighted and well-thought position of Uzbekistan in connection with recent events in Kyrgyzstan, when Uzbekistan rendered wide-scale and all-round assistance to refuges from south Kyrgyztsan.

During the meeting the sides exchanged opinion on perspectives of expanding bilateral cooperation on all directions and other issues of mutual interest.

As earlier reported, US Deputy Secretary of State James B. Steinberg is visiting Uzbekistan as part of tour to Central Asia and Japan. This is the first his visit to Uzbekistan in the capacity of deputy secretary.