TASHKENT, March 6: Pakistan and Uzbekistan vowed on Sunday to coordinate their efforts in fighting terrorism as President Pervez Musharraf began a two-nation Central Asian tour.

"Pakistan in the past, and even now, has some Uzbek terrorists in its area and I have assured the president that we will act against them," Gen Musharraf told reporters after he and his Uzbek counterpart Islam Karimov had signed a joint statement.

"We ought to have a very effective extradition treaty which will ensure institutional arrangement on extraditing any terrorist from each other to our respective countries," he said.

Uzbekistan last year saw a series of suicide attacks that killed more than 50 people and the authorities blamed them on radical groups based in Pakistan.

"The Uzbek people know that people who carried out bloody acts in Uzbekistan are now hiding in Pakistan, and the efforts by Musharraf's government shows real bravery," President Karimov said.

Gen Musharraf said that Pakistan would like to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and sought Mr Karimov's support for Pakistani membership in the regional grouping, which comprises Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

After two hours of talks, Gen Musharraf and Mr Karimov told a news conference that the two countries would work jointly to stamp out the menace of terrorism.

The two leaders oversaw the signing of an agreement on strengthening cultural ties.

President Musharraf said that both Pakistan and Uzbekistan had been victims of terrorism. He reiterated Pakistan's firm resolve not to allow anyone to use its soil for terrorist activities against other countries.

"Pakistan will not allow use of its soil for activities against the interests of Uzbekistan," Gen Musharraf said.

Mr Karimov said the world community owed a responsibility to combat the challenge of international terrorism. He praised President Musharraf's emphasis on enlightened moderation.

In the talks, President Musharraf briefed his host on Pakistan's position on important national, international and regional issues, including the proposed UN reforms.

He also updated him on the Pakistan-India dialogue process for resolving all outstanding disputes.

The president emphasized that Pakistan was against creation of centres of privilege in the UNSC "as this will go against the principles of sovereign equality of nations". He expressed the hope that the two nations would see a new era of trade and economic cooperation.

The two leaders agreed on activating the joint ministerial commission to boost commerce.

Mr Karimov said his country attached significance to Pakistan's central geo-strategic location and looked forward to having access to world markets through its seaports.

"We see Pakistani ports -Karachi and Gwadar - as very important. A day will come when we will reach the world markets through Pakistan," he said. With peace and stability gaining strength in Afghanistan, the prospects of Central Asian trade through Pakistan look bright, he added.-Agencies