Presidents of Uzbekistan, China discuss expansion of multifaceted relations
On June 17, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, held talks with the President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, UzA reports.
The current issues on the bilateral and regional agenda were discussed.
With deep satisfaction, the heads of state noted that in recent years, friendship and the all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership between Uzbekistan and China have reached an unprecedentedly high level.
The agreements reached during the state visit of the President of Uzbekistan to China in January 2024 are being consistently implemented.
A notable intensification of contacts and exchanges at all levels was highlighted.
A Strategic Dialogue between the Foreign Ministers has been launched. The second Regional Forum was successfully held in Samarkand in early June this year.
Trade, economic, financial, and investment cooperation is developing dynamically. In 2024, bilateral trade reached $14 billion. The portfolio of investment projects now exceeds $60 billion.
Joint technoparks and special industrial zones are operating successfully in various regions of Uzbekistan, and the production of BYD electric vehicles is expanding.
Promising projects are currently under development in green energy, the oil and gas sector, chemistry, pharmaceuticals, metallurgy, mining, textiles, food production, and construction, as well as in logistics, smart agriculture, artificial intelligence, and digitalization.
Mutually beneficial cooperation is being carried out with China’s leading financial institutions. Plans have been outlined with the Silk Road Fund to expand the investment platform. With the participation of the Export-Import Bank of China, construction of the Olympic Village in the capital is nearing completion. A regional branch of this bank has been opened in the city of Tashkent.
Particular attention was given to further deepening cooperation in poverty reduction.
The leaders also highlighted the importance of accelerating the construction of the strategic China – Kyrgyzstan – Uzbekistan railway.
The mutual interest in expanding exchanges in education, science, tourism, and culture, as well as in personnel training and studying the Chinese language, was emphasized.
A branch of China’s Northwest A&F University is already operating in Uzbekistan, and an International Mathematical Center has been established in cooperation with Peking University at Urgench State University.
Last year marked the 20th anniversary of the Confucius Institute’s activities in Uzbekistan, and the Chinese vocational education model “Luban Workshop” is being introduced.
Next year, cross-cultural Weeks of Culture and Art are planned to be held in both countries.
At the meeting, views on the international agenda were also exchanged. The importance of continued coordination and mutual support within the framework of the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the “Central Asia – China” format, and other multilateral platforms was emphasized.
Following the talks, in the presence of the Presidents of Uzbekistan and China, it was announced that the Protocol on the conclusion of bilateral negotiations on Uzbekistan’s accession to the World Trade Organization had been signed.
Earlier, it was reported that President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has arrived in Astana for the 2nd Central Asia-China Summit.
