Meetings occur frequently between Russian officials and the leadership of several former Soviet states, especially in the Central Asian region, which is home to some of Moscow's closest allies. Kazakhstan is a member of the Customs Union and the Collective Security Treaty Organization, both of which are led by Moscow , and Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan host Russian military bases with thousands of Russian troops. As a result, these countries hold frequent consultations with Moscow. However, such meetings are less common between Russia and Uzbekistan, which is the most populous country in the region and one that is self sufficient in energy resources. This makes Uzbekistan the most independent country in Central Asia, and Tashkent has traditionally had a tense relationship with Moscow.