Uzbekistan, China eye future co-op
By Nigar Abbasova
A number of important Uzbek-Chinese intergovernmental documents, aimed at further strengthening the multifaceted cooperation between the two countries, were signed on June 22.
The sides have signed 7 documents envisaging further development of the cooperation in the spheres of investment, foreign-policy and stirring up of the mutual trade , as well as credit agreements with the worth of more than $ 200 million in the spheres of oil and gas and transport.
Uzbekistan and China have inked deals on the all-round strategic cooperation within the framework of the state visit of Chinese leader Xi Jinping to Uzbekistan.
Following the meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Uzbek President Islam Karimov and Xi Jinping inked a joint declaration.
Karimov mentioned that the agreement has a “mobilizing significance” for the development of the bilateral cooperation in the humanitarian and economic spheres.
“We have carried out exchange of views and reached a mutual understanding in the further rise of level of bilateral relations, strengthening of mutually beneficial cooperation in different spheres as well as in the international and regional issues of common interest” he said.
He also underlined that the sides have reached the high level of mutual political trust and confidence since the establishment of a strategic partnership between the two countries in 2012.
Xi Jinping, in his turn, said that the strengthening of the mutually beneficial relations is a joint choice of the two countries. “We have managed to advance the level of our cooperation and made it strategic,” the president stressed.
The sides have also discussed examination of the new investment projects in the spheres of energy as well as development of the tech parks through Chinese high-technology equipment.
China is Uzbekistan’s second largest trade partner. The total volume of the Chinese investments into the economy of Uzbekistan amounts to $ 6.5 billion. The number of joint entities with the Chinese capital which operate in different spheres of economy including energy, telecommunications, infrastructure, construction and textiles amounts to 651.
The program on the development of the strategic partnership between the countries for 2014-2018 was signed in August, 2014.
Diplomatic relations between the countries were established in January 1992.
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Nigar Abbasova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @nigyar_abbasova
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