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By Trend

The Uzbek side is extremely grateful to President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev for sending 50,000 doses of vaccine against COVID-19 to Uzbekistan, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Azerbaijan Bahrom Ashrafkhanov told Trend on July 16.

"It is especially pleasant that Azerbaijan supported the global COVAX initiative to ensure fair and equal access to vaccines for all countries," the ambassador said.

"As part of this initiative, the Azerbaijani delegation sent 50,000 doses of vaccine against COVID-19 to Uzbekistan," Ashrafkhanov said. "For this, the Uzbek side is very grateful to respected President Ilham Aliyev and other state agencies involved in this process."

"This is the vivid demonstration of Azerbaijan's solidarity in the fight against COVID-19, a sign of real brotherhood between the two countries and their peoples," the ambassador said.

"At the same time, I would like to remind that our countries have already rendered assistance in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic," the ambassador said. "Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan exchanged humanitarian cargoes with medical equipment necessary to fight COVID-19 in April 2020."

The ambassador also expressed gratitude to Azerbaijan because a representative delegation headed by Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev is taking part in the high-level international conference entitled "Central and South Asia: Regional Connectivity. Challenges and Opportunities."

"Central and South Asia: Regional Connectivity. Challenges and Opportunities" international high-level conference is being held in Tashkent today upon the initiative of distinguished President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev," the ambassador said. "The representatives of the governmental circles from 44 countries, 30 international organizations, heads of authoritative research and analytical centers gathered there."

"While opening the conference, President Mirziyoyev put forward a number of initiatives envisaging the revival of the historical interconnectedness of Central and South Asia, as well as building up cooperation ties between them," the diplomat said.

"In particular, the president proposed to hold an annual economic forum of the Central and South Asian countries, build an interregional transport and logistics infrastructure, digitize the sphere of trade, transit and border crossing between the countries of the two regions, develop a joint program of measures to ensure food security," the diplomat said.

"The president also proposed to strengthen security and stability in region, take joint actions to protect the environment and develop the "green" economy, as well as further expand exchange of views on scientific, cultural and humanitarian issues and strive to fully realize the huge tourism potential of the Central and South Asia countries," Ashrafkhanov said.

"The participation of the delegation headed by the Azerbaijani deputy prime minister in the international conference testifies to the fact that this forum and its agenda are of practical interest for the fraternal country – Azerbaijan," the ambassador added.

"I am sure that following the event, our countries will create the basis for new mutually beneficial spheres of cooperation within the implementation of the initiatives voiced at the plenary session of the conference," the ambassador said.

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