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of promoting security, development and prosperity in a strategically important region, located in the heart of Eurasia. FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITIES UZBEKISTAN AND RUSSIA: BILATERAL AND REGIONAL DIMENSIONS OF THEIR PARTNERSHIP Milana Bazarova, Head of the Department, the Institute of Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Annotation The article analyzes the bilateral and regional dimension of the Uzbek-Russian partnership in the context of the current relations between the two countries. The author researches the perspectives of Uzbek-Russian economic cooperation, as well as coordination in the field of digital economy development, personnel training, and in the issues of making joint efforts to ensure regional and international security. The current relations between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Russian Federation are the result of the intersection of the important historical process that consolidated the Uzbek and Russian nations with close ties of friendship and good-neighbourliness. “In the early 1990s, at the dawn of the transition of cooperation from the intra-Union to the interstate level, Russia and Uzbekistan were able to painlessly and trustfully adapt their interaction to the political and economic realities that changed after the USSR’s collapse, which largely determined Uzbek-Russian long-term partnership” 1 . Over the past quarter century, Uzbekistan and Russia managed to create solid foundation for long-standing and mutually beneficial cooperation, which now includes more than 340 interstates, intergovernmental and interdepartmental treaties. There is no doubt that “a significant merit of this belongs to the First President of Uzbekistan I.Karimov, who outlined the key areas of interstate relations” 2 . In building relations with Russia, Tashkent proceeds from the fact that Moscow has always been and remains an important strategic partner and ally of Uzbekistan. Tashkent has a firm intention not only to promote the steady turn of existing agreements into new mutually beneficial projects, but also actively expand cooperation in prospective areas. This goal found its actual embodiment during the state visit of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Sh.Mirziyoyev to Russia in April 2017, when 55 agreements were signed for an unprecedented amount – $ 16 billion. From international round table materials («Uzbekistan’s Foreign Policy Transformation at the present stage: new directions, opportunities and challenges» 7 May of 2018, Tashkent), https://ia-centr.ru/publications/sovremennyy-uzbekistan-na-mirovoy-arene/ 2 From the report of the Chief of the Center for geopolitical studies «Berlek-Unity» (Ufa) R.Murzagaleev «Uzbekistan and Russia – intensification of political and economic cooperation at the present stage» //International round table «Uzbekistan’s Foreign Policy Transformation at the present stage: new directions, opportunities and challenges» 7 May of 2018, Tashkent, https://ia-centr.ru/publications/sovremennyy- uzbekistan-na-mirovoy-arene/ 57 1