Putin arrives in Uzbekistan on the 3rd foreign trip of his new term

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in the capital of Uzbekistan where he is to hold talks with President Shavkay Mirziyoyev. The talks are expected to focus on deepening the countries’ relations. Putin laid a wreath Sunday at a monument to Uzbekistan’s independence in Tashkent and held what the Krelim said were informal talks with Mirziyoyev. The formal meeting of the presidents is to take place Monday. The visit is Putin’s third foreign trip since being inaugurated for a fifth term on May. He first went to China, where he expressed appreciation for China’s proposals for talks to end the Ukraine conflict, and later to Belarus where Russia has deployed tactical nuclear weapons.