Uzbekistan\'s President Islam Karimov extended his felicitation to President-elect Hassan Rouhani on his victory in the Friday election in Iran. President Karimov whose Tuesday message has been widely covered by his country\'s various media has in the message said the \"over 18 million votes\" that Rouhani secured in the election gave him \"an outright win\" over his rivals in the June 14 presidential election. Iran and Uzbekistan have deep cultural and historical ties. The Islamic Republic of Iran has been actively pursuing economic projects and social, cultural, and diplomatic initiatives in Uzbekistan in the course of the past decades.