Azernews.Az

By Aynur Jafarova

Uzbekistan and China have signed a package of bilateral documents.

The intergovernmental documents were signed by Uzbek Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Premier of Chinese State Council Li Keqiang following the Uzbek-Chinese talks in Tashkent on November 29.

These included an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the field of tourism, a cultural exchange program for 2014-2017, as well as a protocol on information exchange between Uzbek State Customs Committee and Chinese Customs Administration.

According to another agreement, Uzbek Samarqand city and Chinese Xi'an city became twinned.

The two countries signed loan agreements as well.

Uzpromstroybank and Chinese State Bank signed a loan agreement worth $10 million to finance small businesses, as well as a memorandum of cooperation worth $40 million for small business projects.

Also, Uzbek National Bank for Foreign Economic Activity and Chinese Eximbank signed a loan agreement to finance the construction of the Angren-Pap tunnel worth $350 million.

Keqiang is on an official visit to Uzbekistan to participate in the twelfth meeting of the Council of Heads of Governments of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states to be held in Tashkent.

Uzbekistan and China are developing cooperation in oil, gas, petrochemical, chemical and mining industries, in the fields of transport and logistics, the manufacturing industry, telecommunications, production of electrical technology and modern construction materials, as well as in a number of other sectors of the economy.

The trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $3.23 billion in 2012. The dynamics of sustainable growth have been retained this year.

Some 455 enterprises with Chinese capital are operating in Uzbekistan.

The Chinese companies are involved in projects of exploration and exploitation of deposits of hydrocarbons, uranium and other precious materials, in the project of gas chemical complex in Mubarek and other high-tech industries.