MOSCOW, May 26. /TASS/. Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov has said that Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan have very good personal relations.

"Naturally, the Uzbek president treats our president as a friend," he said in an interview with Russia’s TV Channel One. "They have very good personal relations.".

Russia is open to cooperation with Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan in the area of gas supplies, Peskov said.

"This cooperation involved three countries - Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Russia, so, there are wide possibilities here. Russia is open to this and this is mutually beneficial cooperation," he said in an interview with Russia’s TV Channel One when asked about prospects for increasing gas supplies.

Touching on relations with Uzbekistan, where President Vladimir Putin has arrived on a state visit, Peskov stressed that this country is Russia’s "traditional and very important partner in Central Asia." "This country is close to us. This is a country we are actively developing trade, economic, and investment cooperation with," he said. "This is one of the biggest Central Asian countries, which is playing a very big tole in the region."

On October 7, 2023, Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia, Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan took part in the ceremony of the beginning of Russian gas transit to Uzbekistan via Kazakhstan through the Central Asia-Center gas pipeline.

On Sunday, Putin arrived in Tashkent on a two-day state visit. He was welcomed by his Uzbek counterpart at the airport and they set off from the airport by the same car with the flags of the two countries.