Kyrgyzstan's President Kurmanbek Bakiyev on Monday pledged that his country was ready to cooperate with neighboring Uzbekistan in fighting terrorism and religious extremism. "Kyrgyzstan shares Uzbekistan's concern over growing threats from religious extremism, including from Hizb-ut-Tahrir and other religious extremist organizations," Bakiyev said in a statement. "We express solidarity with Uzbekistan over the necessity to step up joint efforts in the fight against international terrorism and religious extremism that threaten regional security and stability." Bakiyev said that both sides should take additional measures to stabilize the situation on the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border. Bakiyev also said that expanding trade and economic relations with Uzbekistan "has been, and still remains, a main priority in Kyrgyzstan's foreign economic activities." Bakiyev's statement comes a day before a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who has praised Kyrgyz government for complying with its international obligations when dealing with Uzbek refugees.
