DUSHANBE, June 15, 2013, Asia-Plus – Uzbek President Islam Karimov and his Kazakh counterpart have confirmed a common position on regional water use.

They reportedly stated that at a briefing in Tashkent on June 14.

According to Trend.az, Uzbek president noted that they had formulated a common position in regards to fair use of water in Central Asia, based on the solution of water and energy problems “exclusively through strict observance of generally recognized norms of international law and taking into account the interests of all states in the region.”

He reportedly stressed that any hydraulic facilities planned for construction in the upper stream of rivers, such as Roghun and Kambarata-1, should be required to undergo an international independent examination under the auspices of the UN and be agreed upon with the countries in downstream of Amu Darya and Syr Darya.

He reiterated that it is a matter of the construction of giant-scale dams - Roghun with a height of 330 meters and Kambarata - 260 meters.

President Nursultan Nazarbayev reportedly confirmed that the position of the two countries on water issues is largely the same.

"We want to send a friendly message to neighbors that together we will solve all of our issues. This also concerns the construction of new hydropower plants," Nazarbayev was quoted as saying by Trend.az.

According to him, the sides should come to the negotiating table over that issue and they should take into account interests of each other.

“Conduct an examination, convince us. It is not about Karimov and Nazarbayev.  We must convince people that they will no be flooded and 0farmers will not be left without water. And we are ready to meet you halfway," the president of Kazakhstan said.

Meanwhile, Radio Liberty reports Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has reached a strategic partnership agreement with his Uzbek counterpart, Islam Karimov, during a visit to Tashkent.

The document signed in the Uzbek capital on June 14 defines cooperation regarding politics, trade, economics, culture, and transportation between the two Central Asian countries.

After the talks, Nazarbayev described Uzbekistan as having deeply-rooted cultural and historic traditions that influence cultural developments in the region as a whole.

The Kazakh leader added that Central Asia''s regional security “greatly depends on cooperation between the two countries.”

Karimov and Nazarbayev have long been viewed as competitors for a leadership role in Central Asia.

In the past, the relations between the two countries were marred by deadly shootings along disputed border segments and the closure of the Kazakh Cultural Center in Tashkent in 2008, Radio Liberty said.