Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Andrei Rudenko positively assessed the trends in the dialogue between Moscow and Tashkent.

Russia and Uzbekistan are preparing for signing about 20 draft intergovernmental agreements. This was announced on Thursday by the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Andrei Rudenko in an interview with the First Deputy Director General of TASS Mikhail Gusman.

“Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, we had to postpone the state visit of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to the Russian Federation to a later date, but we hope that it will take place anyway. We have about 20 draft intergovernmental agreements in our portfolio that we are ready to sign,” he said.

The high-ranking diplomat praised the trends in the dialogue between Moscow and Tashkent. According to him, relations in the field of economics, politics and military-technical cooperation are developing at a good pace, including thanks to the efforts of the President of Uzbekistan.

Rudenko drew attention to the fact that the Uzbek side expressed a desire to obtain observer status in the EAEU. “We hope that in the near future this status will be granted to Uzbekistan, which will open up opportunities for deepening integration within the EAEU, including the opportunity to gain experience of cooperation with other countries in the context of this organization and ultimately become a full member of the union. Again, the sovereign choice should remain with the leadership of Uzbekistan, we will respect it,” the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister stressed.