Relations between the two ex-Soviet republics soured during the two-decade rule of former Turkmen president Saparmurat Niyazov, Reuters reported.

In 2002 Turkmenistan expelled an Uzbek ambassador saying he had been linked to a failed attempt to assassinate Niyazov.

But Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, who came to power after Niyazov’s death in late 2006, has set to repair relations.

On Monday he visited Uzbek capital Tashkent following a visit by Uzbek President Islam Karimov to Turkmenistan last October.

"I would like to stress my great satisfaction and gratitude to the president of Turkmenistan for the attention he has paid to his state visit to Uzbekistan," Karimov told reporters after meeting Berdymukhamedov.

Berdymukhamedov said: "We have common roots and historic ties and this visit will serve to further improve our bilateral co-operation."

Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan have recently separately agreed with Russia’s Gazprom to increase the price at which they buy their natural gas for resale to Europe.