Bishkek, 27 January 2023 (TDI): On January 26, 2023, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and his wife arrived in Bishkek on a state visit.
The President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Sadyr Zhaparov, and his wife welcomed the distinguished guests at Manas International Airport with folklore and musical performances celebrating the friendship of the Uzbek and Kyrgyz peoples.
During the state visit, the leaders of the two countries met at the Ala Archa State Residence in Bishkek to discuss the development of bilateral relations and cooperation in various areas.
These areas will span the political, trade and economic, investment, transport and communication, water and energy, and interregional cooperation.
During the meeting, President Mirziyoyev on his part emphasized that Kyrgyzstan is a major strategic partner, close neighbor, and trusted friend of Uzbekistan.
He also highlighted the successful development of bilateral relations over the past two years, with the completion of the delimitation of the Uzbek-Kyrgyz border being a historic event.
Aside from that the two leaders also discussed the potential for further expansion of trade volumes and the range of goods in mutual supplies.
They considered the implementation of new joint investment projects in various sectors, including industrial, textile, energy, mining, and agriculture, and discussed ways to actively exploit the potential of the Uzbek-Kyrgyz Development Fund.
In this vein, the two sides also discussed cooperation in regional structures and international platforms, as well as issues of security and stability in Central Asia and effective counteraction against contemporary challenges and threats.
They confirmed their mutual desire to continue beneficial cooperation as part of multilateral structures. Moreover, during the delegation-level talks, the parties expressed their firm commitment and readiness to work together.
The two sides will cooperate to deepen the bilateral strategic partnership and increase the volume and range of mutual trade.
Also read: Foreign Ministers of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan speak
The President of Uzbekistan proposed new investment projects worth about $500 million, including the production of cars, modern household appliances, building materials, and joint mining and processing of minerals.
The leaders also highlighted the importance of cooperation in agriculture for food security and agreed to implement an agricultural cooperation program.
The program will include joint projects for the development of intensive gardens and greenhouses, the supply of potatoes, fruits and vegetables, and livestock products, and the cultivation of agricultural products.
In addition, the President of Uzbekistan emphasized the importance of enhancing partnership and direct contacts between the regions of the two countries and defined interaction in transport and logistics as strategically significant.
An agreement was reached to intensify work on the construction of the “China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan” railway and to maximize the potential of the existing transport corridors.
Furthermore, as part of the state visit, a business forum was held where a solid package of contracts worth $1.6 billion was signed between the two countries, further strengthening their bilateral relations and economic cooperation.
