In accordance with a mutual agreement, a working meeting of delegations from the Uzbek and Kyrgyz interior ministries was held in the Kyrgyz town of Osh on 9 August. The delegations were led by Uzbek Interior Minister Lt-Gen Bahodir Matlubov and Kyrgyz Interior Minister Bolotbek Nogoybayev.

The main aim of the meeting was to discuss the issues related to the further stepping up of practical cooperation and expanding collaboration between the two countries’ interior agencies in central and border [areas] in the fight against terrorism, religious extremist, illegal circulation of drugs, searching for criminals and exchanging operational information.

During the discussion, the unstable situation in Afghanistan, which poses an increased danger to the whole Central Asian region today, was especially noted. The practical cooperation being carried out [between the two countries’ ministries], especially one in border regions, makes it possible to reach more significant results in the fight against various dangerous manifestations of crime, and assists in promptly uncovering and detaining persons who commit or prepare such crimes at an early stage.

The ministers reached an agreement in principle on the need to step up cooperation in the fight against terrorism, religious extremism, illegal circulation of drugs and other dangerous types of crimes.