The President of Uzbekistan: With this step, we confirmed our readiness to actively support each other, stand firmly shoulder to shoulder in the face of modern challenges

According to the press service of the Head of our state, the President of Uzbekistan, on behalf of our multinational people and himself, congratulated the President and the fraternal people of Kazakhstan on Independence Day, celebrated on December 16.

It was noted that the fraternal Uzbek and Kazakh peoples are inextricably linked by strong ties of centuries-old friendship.

“We are brought together by common history, cultural and spiritual values, traditions and customs. For Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan is the closest, most reliable and time-tested partner.

In these difficult times, we can, without exaggeration, characterize our relations as a model of interstate cooperation”, the Head of the state noted.

The President of Uzbekistan noted that the talks once again confirmed the readiness of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan to comprehensively develop and enrich bilateral relations, filling them with qualitatively new practical content.

The most important outcome of the visit was the signing of the Treaty on Allied Relations, which fully meets the fundamental interests of the two fraternal peoples.

In addition, an Interstate Council is being created at the level of Heads of State.

“With this step, we confirmed our readiness to actively support each other, stand firmly shoulder to shoulder in the face of modern challenges”, Shavkat Mirziyoyev stressed.

Another important document was the Agreement on the Demarcation of the Uzbekistan – Kazakhstan State Border, which fully completed the legal registration of borders between the two fraternal countries.

“This is a truly historic event. There is no doubt that our border has always been and will remain the border of true friendship and good neighborliness”, the President of Uzbekistan noted.

Attention was drawn to the fact that thanks to the active political dialogue, great successes have been achieved in all spheres, and large-scale cooperation is developing rapidly.

This is confirmed by the fact that in recent years the volume of mutual trade has doubled, approaching the mark of five billion USD.

“We have set ourselves the task in the near future to multiply these indicators by replacing expensive imports from third countries with products from our manufacturers”, Shavkat Mirziyoyev stressed.

In this regard, an agreement was reached on forming a working group led by Deputy Prime Ministers and creating a joint foreign trade company to organize system supplies of substituted products.

Special attention was paid to the issues of deepening industrial cooperation in industries that traditionally complement each other.

The heads of state gave a new impetus to the development of partnership in this direction by launching several large-scale projects such as the construction of a thermal power plant in Samarkand region, the production of complex and phosphorous mineral fertilizers, the creation of a logistics center in Tashkent region, the construction of residential and commercial infrastructure in Tashkent, the production of cars in Kostanay and household appliances in Karaganda.

“We will also begin the construction of an International Industrial Cooperation Center, which will serve as an important platform for the preparation and practical implementation of new mutually beneficial projects”, the President of Uzbekistan noted.

During the talks, priority attention was paid to cooperation in the energy sector. It was noted that new projects would be implemented in the construction and modernization of energy facilities, geological exploration, deep processing of natural gas.

The heads of state also exchanged views on further enhancing collaboration in food security. To this end, agreements have been reached on the cultivation of various agricultural products in the territories of the two countries and their supply to each other's markets.

Transport and logistics issues took an important place on the agenda. Specific measures were identified to significantly increase the transport and transit potential, activate projects for the construction of new railways and highways.

The heads of state also confirmed their readiness to continue cooperation in the joint use of transboundary water resources in the spirit of mutual respect and trust, as well as to strengthen cooperation to mitigate the negative consequences of the Aral tragedy.

Taking into account the increasing role of parliaments, cooperation between legislative authorities will be intensified. The first meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Council will be held in Tashkent next year.

The President of Uzbekistan emphasized that much attention was paid to deepening partnership in the cultural-humanitarian sphere at the recent negotiations.

This year, the countries widely celebrated the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. “The Pearl of the Aral Sea” exhibition was successfully held in Almaty in October, Uzbekistan Culture Days were held in Astana in November, and a Youth Congress was held in December.

These days, Uzbekistan hosts events dedicated to the outstanding son of the Kazakh people, Abay Kunanbayev.

“The immortal legacy of the great Abay is still of great importance for the peoples of our region, especially the upbringing of the younger generation in the spirit of national and universal values”, Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted.

An agreement was reached to hold Cultural Days, joint film festivals, creative evenings of famous artists next year. This will serve to bring the two fraternal peoples closer together, confirming their common historical roots.

The Head of the state stressed that Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan will join efforts to ensure stability and prosperity in the region, which is turning into a center of global change today.

“Strengthening multifaceted and long-term cooperation in Central Asia is a guarantee of overall sustainable development”, the Leader of Uzbekistan stressed.

The importance of holding regular Consultative meetings of the Heads of Central Asian states was emphasized.

The importance of continuing the practice of mutual support for each other's initiatives within the framework of reputable international and regional organizations was highlighted during the talks.

Taking into account the common interests, the parties agreed to enhance cooperation within the framework of the UN, CIS, SCO, OTS, ECO, CICA, as well as the Central Asia Plus formats.

“We are pleased that during today's state visit of the President of Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan, bilateral relations have been raised to a qualitatively new level – strategic partnership and alliance.

We will make every effort and opportunity to further strengthen and develop our relations in every possible way”, Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted in conclusion.