The Uzbek finance and foreign ministers and Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos also attended the meeting, following talks between Karimov and Moratinos late Tuesday.

Karimov was making an official visit to Spain on his way to Brazil.

Spain and Uzbekistan were considering joint projects in energy, tourism, transport and water management, following the opening of an Uzbek embassy in Madrid in 2007, the sources said.

Karimov told Moratinos he wanted to reinforce links between the European Union and Central Asia during Spain’s EU presidency in the first half of 2010.

Spain regards Uzbekistan as having an important international role in energy production and transport, as well as in the fight against terrorism.