Uzbekistan’s capital Tashkent will host the next conference of Russian expatriates living in Central Asia not later than September 2008, a Russian Foreign Ministry official said on the results of the conference of Russian compatriots held in Bishkek last week.

“This meeting was held under a slogan of ‘Cooperation and Solidarity’ and it reiterated the compatriots community’s willingness for unification,” the official said.

Taking part in the conference were delegations of Russian compatriots from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and representatives of a number of Russian ministries and agencies, Itar-Tass reported.

On the eve of the meeting representatives of the delegations met with the leadership of the Kyrgyz Republic.

“Participants in the conference heartily met a message of greetings from Russian Foreign Minister, Chairman of the Government Commission on the Affairs of Compatriots Abroad Sergei Lavrov,” the official said.

“Deputy Foreign Minister and Deputy Chairman of the Commission Grigori Karasin delivered a report devoted to measures taken by the Russian leadership aimed at strengthening ties with compatriots, protection of their rights and interests,” he said.

According to the official, Chairman of the State Duma Committee for International Affairs Konstantin Kosachev delivered a detailed report on lawmaking efforts of the Russian parliament pertaining to compatriots and new elements in the electoral legislation concerning the State Duma election campaign.

Widely known writer Chingiz Aitmatov made a rather emotional speech on unbreakable ties and destinies of peoples of Kyrgyzstan, other Central Asian countries and Russia.

“The participants in the conference discussed consolidation of Russian-speaking communities in the countries, development of a dialog with local authorities intensification of educational activity among young Russians and protection of rights and interests of compatriots,” he said.

“The delegates greeted the setting up of the Russki Mir (Russian World) Fund and backed the earliest possible interaction of the Fund with the Government Commission on the Affairs of Compatriots Abroad and the Russian Compatriots Coordination Council,” the official said.

According to the official, the delegates discussed implementation of the state programme for migration of Russian compatriots to the Russian Federation. Deputy Director of the Federal Migration Service Vladimir Kolanda took part in the discussion.

Director of the Vladimirsky Community association (Kyrgyzstan) Stanislav Yepifantsev was elected a member of the Coordination Council of Compatriots in Kyrgyzstan.