President of Uzbekistan calls for expanding mutually beneficial cooperation with Hong Kong

On June 4, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev received a delegation from the People's Republic of China led by John Lee Ka-chiu, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

At the beginning of the meeting, John Lee Ka-chiuconveyed warm greetings and best wishes from President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

The parties discussed topical aspects of the further expansion of Uzbek-Chinese cooperation, including in the context of expanding interregional exchanges and practical cooperation with Hong Kong.

During the conversation, the sides noted with deep satisfaction the unprecedented level of Uzbek-Chinese relations of friendship and all-weather strategic partnership in the new era, achieved in recent years.

High-level agreements are being consistently implemented. In May, a meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission was successfully held in Beijing, along with the third Interregional Forum in Xi'an. An economic forum and an industrial exhibition were organized in Hong Kong, where Uzbekistan's Trade House was inaugurated.

Particular attention was paid to the importance of leveraging the existing potential for economic partnership between the regions of Uzbekistan and Hong Kong. The parties expressed confidence that the current visit of a representative delegation of Hong Kong business circles to Tashkent would contribute to this.

The importance of adopting a comprehensive cooperation program was emphasized, providing for the expansion of trade, economic, and financial ties, the establishment of industrial cooperation, the development of educational, tourism, and business exchanges, as well as the establishment of direct air links and consular services for citizens.

Priority areas included green energy, the agricultural sector, biotechnology, the digital economy, fintech, innovative startups, artificial intelligence, and others.

An agreement was reached to adopt a joint roadmap in priority areas of cooperation, as well as to establish a Business Council and introduce a visa-free regime with Hong Kong on a reciprocal basis in the near future.