Georgia Congratulates Uzbekistan Ahead Of Independence Anniversary

TASHKENT -- The Georgian government has sent a letter of congratulations to Uzbekistan ahead of the 18th anniversary of Uzbek independence on September 1, RFE/RL's Uzbek Service reports.

The letter from Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili to Uzbek President Islam Karimov was published in Uzbek state media.

The publishing of the letter suggests Tashkent is not hiding that it gave moral support to Tbilisi during the Russia-Georgia war of August 2008.

Uzbekistan supports the territorial integrity of Georgia, whose separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia have been recognized as independent by Moscow.