Uzbekistan has released Kyrgyz journalist Erkin Yakubzhanov, who Uzbek border guards detained at the Dustlik customs checkpoint on the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border on July 18. The journalist was released on Friday evening and is now back home, the Kyrgyz Interior Ministry told Interfax on Saturday. Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry envoy for southern Kyrgyzstan, Baktur Adanov, is expected to meet with Yakubzhanov on Saturday afternoon. Kyrgyzstan had held negotiations with Uzbekistan to have the journalist released from July 18, the first day of his detention, , the Foreign Ministry said. The Dustlik checkpoint separates Kyrgyzstan\'s Osh region and Uzbekistan\'s Andizhan region. The journalist was detained whilst he was interviewing Uzbek citizens crossing the border to take refuge in Kyrgyzstan. According to some local media, Yakubzhanov gathered information for a regional project entitled \'Fergana Valley - Valley of Peace\'. Other sources claim he was acting under a contract with Radio Liberty. (Interfax)