Russia and Uzbekistan are holding their first joint military exercises in hills north of the Uzbek city of Samarkand. With 200 soldiers from each side taking part, the three-day drills will also involve paratroopers and an elite Russian commando unit. The exercises are being seen as a sign of closer relations between Moscow and Tashkent. They come just two months after the Uzbeks issued an ultimatum to US forces to leave a base in southern Uzbekistan. The military drills are taking place in a range of hills near the village of Farish, 100km (62 miles) north of Samarkand. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov and his Uzbek counterpart, Kadyr Gulomov, were due to inspect the proceedings on Friday. Mr Ivanov said the drills were aimed at countering the increasing flow of illegal drugs from nearby Afghanistan. The exercises are the latest sign of a significant warming of relations between Moscow and ex-Soviet Uzbekistan. (BBC)