Uzbekistan – Kazakhstan: We are determined to further strengthen the centuries-old friendship, good-neighborliness, mutual trust and full-scale partnership

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The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, at the invitation of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, paid a state visit to Kazakhstan on December 5-6, 2021.

On December 5, a guard of honor lined up at the International Airport named after Nursultan Nazarbayev in honor of the distinguished guest.

The President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met the President of Uzbekistan. A short conversation took place between the leaders.

The main events of the visit took place on December 6.

* * *

The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev laid flowers at the Otan Qorgaushylar Monument in the city of Nur-Sultan.

The memorial was erected in memory of the Kazakh soldiers who fought in the Second World War. Its height is 37 meters. The image of the Motherland is depicted in the center of the monument.

The heads of foreign states lay flowers at the monument as a sign of deep respect for the people of Kazakhstan.

* * *

Akorda Residence hosted the official welcoming ceremony of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

A guard of honor was lined up in honor of the distinguished guest. The national anthems of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan were played.

Presidents Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev passed the guard of honor and introduced members of the official delegations to each other.

Talks of the Heads of State took place in a contracted format.

At the meeting, which took place in a warm and confidential atmosphere, the heads of state discussed a wide range of issues of the multifaceted partnership between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, including in the political, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres, exchanged views on the international and regional agenda.

The President of Kazakhstan, welcoming the Leader of Uzbekistan, once again congratulated him on his convincing victory in the last Presidential Election and wished him success in his future activities, and noted the significance of this visit.

“We are very happy to host you in Kazakhstan on a state visit. It is very important for taking cooperation to a new level. The package of documents to be signed today will give an additional impetus to the partnership. We agreed to instruct the governments of our countries to take the most energetic measures to achieve the tasks set. We believe that the relationship between our countries is a serious factor in ensuring stability and security in the entire Central Asian region”, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.

The President of Uzbekistan, thanking for the invitation, emphasized that this meeting is taking place on the eve of the 30th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s independence, and on behalf of the people of Uzbekistan, cordially congratulated the fraternal people on this significant event, wishing peace, prosperity and new victories.

It was noted that under the leadership of Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, today Kazakhstan continues the great creative work begun by the First President – Elbasy Nursultan Nazarbayev and is confidently moving along the path of sustainable development.

The Leader of Uzbekistan noted with satisfaction the high dynamics of friendship and good-neighborliness between the two brotherly countries.

“In recent years, we have practically reset collaboration and today we are witnessing the first significant results of joint work. Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are natural economic partners. Our economies do not compete, but complement each other. Mutual trade is growing. Trade is expected to reach a record $4 billion this year. The volume of road and rail freight traffic is increasing. Air traffic has been fully restored, new routes are being opened. Our leading companies are successfully deepening cooperation. In recent years, the number of joint ventures and projects has increased six times in almost all sectors of the economy”, Shavkat Mirziyoyev said.

The development of trade and economic cooperation was emphasized, where direct contacts between regions and businesspeople of both countries play an important role.

On the eve of the visit of the President of Uzbekistan to Kazakhstan, a meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission and the Forum of Regions were held in Turkestan under the leadership of the Prime Ministers. A business forum was successfully held in the capital of Kazakhstan. Following the events, agreements and contracts were signed for $6 billion.

Vehicles, buses and agricultural machinery manufacturing has been established in Kostanay. Modern textile enterprises and the production of household appliances were launched in Turkestan and Shymkent. In Uzbekistan, projects are being implemented in the energy, industry, chemical, food industries, and the construction sector together with Kazakhstani partners.

During the pandemic, the two countries rendered fraternal support to each other.

Interaction in the humanitarian sphere is developing. Within the framework of the revived Tashkent International Film Festival, the Kazakh Cinema Days were successfully held. And this week the capital of Kazakhstan will host the Uzbek Cinema Days.

Regular Consultative Meetings of the Heads of State of the region have shown their effectiveness. A unique platform for an open and trusting dialogue has been formed.

Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are also actively cooperating within the UN, CIS, SCO, ECO, Organization of Turkic States and other structures.

“Today we will make a historic decision to bring the bilateral strategic partnership to the level of allied relations. This will be of great importance for ensuring sustainable development, stability and prosperity not only for our countries, but for the entire region as a whole. We are committed to strengthening friendship and good-neighborliness with brotherly Kazakhstan”, the President of Uzbekistan said.

The leaders also exchanged views on the current regional and international issues of mutual interest.

The parties confirmed their commitment to further strengthening friendship and good-neighborliness between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.

* * *

The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev continued talks with the participation of official delegations of the two countries.

The Heads of State discussed the prospects for further strengthening the strategic partnership and multifaceted cooperation between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Priority attention was paid to enhancing trade and economic cooperation, including an increase in mutual trade, the implementation of cooperation projects, interaction in the sphere of transit and logistics, energy, water and agriculture. Measures to build up interregional, cultural and humanitarian exchanges were considered.

Views were exchanged on the current issues of the global and regional agenda, the interaction between international structures.

The President of Uzbekistan emphasized that the country highly appreciates the especially warm fraternal relations between the people of the two countries.

“We are making a historic decision and bringing our cooperation to the level of allied relations. We are determined to further strengthen the centuries-old friendship, good-neighborliness, mutual trust and full-scale partnership. We will use all the opportunities and resources for this. Our goal is to enrich the multifaceted collaboration of the two fraternal countries with concrete content”, Shavkat Mirziyoyev said.

The Leaders of the two countries, expressed their intention to establish the Supreme Interstate Council, the Council of Interparliamentary Cooperation and the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Uzbekistan to further strengthen the strategic partnership.

During the talks, new growth points, main priorities and target tasks of cooperation were identified.

There is a great potential for a significant expansion of the range and volumes of mutual deliveries of products in demand by replacing imports from third countries. This is confirmed by the dynamic growth in the volume of mutual trade this year, which is expected to reach a record $4 billion.

It was noted that there are all the possibilities to bring this indicator to ten billion dollars in the next five years. To this end, the parties agreed to adopt the roadmap, develop wholesale distribution centers and joint agricultural clusters.

The parties noted the importance of developing mutually beneficial partnership through the creation of new joint ventures in various sectors of the economy. Attracting investment, industrial cooperation, agro-industrial complex, transport and logistics, energy, pharmaceuticals, construction industry were identified as priority areas.

Agreements were reached on the implementation of specific projects of industrial cooperation. There are already successful examples of such interaction in mechanical engineering, energy, electrical, chemical, textile and other industries. New large projects are planned to be implemented in construction, agriculture, pharmaceuticals and other priority areas.

Following the business events held the day before, a package of promising investment projects worth over two billion dollars has been prepared.

A joint International Center for Industrial Cooperation will be established to give additional impetus to these efforts.

Interregional contacts are becoming the driver of increased interaction. Thus, following the recent Forum of Regions, several agreements and trade contracts were signed.

The heads of the border regions of the two countries were instructed to interact even more closely in matters of mutual deliveries of products and the development of new cooperation projects.

The transport sector was noted as an important area. The volume of road and rail freight traffic is growing. Air traffic between the countries has been fully restored, new directions have been opened.

The President of Uzbekistan emphasized the importance of creating new routes that provide access to the markets of each other and third countries. The leaders agreed to speed up projects for the construction of the Uchquduq – Kyzylorda railway and highway, as well as the Turkestan – Shymkent – Tashkent high-speed railway.

The issues of rational use of water resources were also considered. To this end, the parties agreed to develop sustainable long-term mechanisms for mutually beneficial cooperation and continue the work of the Joint Working Group to develop proposals in all areas of water relations between the two countries. The necessity of taking joint practical measures for the accelerated introduction of the latest water-saving technologies, the implementation of joint activities on forest planting in the Aral Sea region was noted.

The parties expressed their intention to closely cooperate in the foreign policy, promoting mutual interests and ideas of regional rapprochement to ensure peace and stability in Central Asia. The Presidents agreed to purposefully work to improve the format of the Consultative Meetings of the Heads of State of Central Asia to maximize the use of their potential with strict respect for the interests of all participating states.

Issues of building up humanitarian exchanges, cooperation in education, science, healthcare, culture and art, tourism and sports were also discussed at the meeting.

The President of Kazakhstan noted that a monument to Alisher Navoi will be erected in Nur-Sultan, as a symbol of the spiritual alliance and centuries-old friendship between the people of the two countries.

* * *

Following the talks, a signing ceremony took place.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed the Declaration on Allied Relations between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Republic of Kazakhstan. It defines goals that meet the vital and long-term national interests of the two fraternal peoples for the full disclosure of the potential of a multifaceted partnership.

Another important document is the Plan of practical measures to bring the trade turnover between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Republic of Kazakhstan to $10 billion in the next 5 years. It will create favorable conditions for the industries and regions of the two countries.

In the presence of the Heads of State, intergovernmental and interdepartmental documents were signed. These include agreements in the customs sphere, in the field of prevention and elimination of emergencies, exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes, on the establishment of the International Center for Industrial Cooperation “Central Asia”, as well as documents on further expansion of cooperation in trade, investment, energy, transport communications, forensic activity, defense, employment, science.

Roadmaps were adopted to enhance collaboration between the hokimiyats of Tashkent and Turkestan regions, the cities of Tashkent and Nur-Sultan, Navoi and Kyzylorda regions for 2022-2023.

The signed 22 documents cover almost all areas of multifaceted interaction between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.

* * *

After the main events of the state visit, a briefing was held for the media representatives.

The Presidents expressed satisfaction with the results of the talks, which took place in a traditionally open, confidential and business atmosphere.

During the talks, the whole range of issues of further developing the multifaceted, mutually beneficial cooperation between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan in all areas of the bilateral and regional agenda, was considered in detail.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev once again congratulated the people of Kazakhstan on the 30th anniversary of independence.

It was emphasized that in recent years, tremendous changes have been taking place in relations between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan based on friendship, good-neighborliness and strategic partnership.

The Leader of Uzbekistan noted that today a historic decision has been made – cooperation has been raised to the level of allied relations, which fully meets and proceeds from the long-term interests of fraternal peoples.

“Cooperation between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan is based on the desire to use the enormous potential of complementarity. We intend to unite our efforts and find new growth points”, Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized.

Satisfaction was expressed with the results of trade and economic partnership, which is a priority area of ​​ cooperation. Since the beginning of this year, the trade turnover has grown by almost 40 percent, and a record high of $4 billion is expected. During the talks, the goal was determined to increase the trade turnover to 5 billion the next year, and in the long term, to bring it to 10 billion.

It was noted that to expand the supply of agricultural products, the parties agreed to create agricultural clusters, wholesale distribution and logistics centers, and to promote the Agroexpress project.

The importance of the agreements reached in industrial cooperation and interregional collaboration was emphasized. There are already good examples – the assembly of cars, buses and agricultural machinery in Kostanay, the production of textile products and electrical equipment in Turkestan and Shymkent.

Joint projects are being implemented in Uzbekistan in industry, energy, chemistry, construction, banking and others. Following the business events held on the eve of the visit, new investment and trade agreements worth about $6 billion were signed.

“There have not been such indicators yet. And all these are solid agreements that form a good basis for the future”, Shavkat Mirziyoyev said.

It is planned to implement projects for the construction of the Uchquduq –Kyzylorda railroad and highway, as well as the Turkestan – Shymkent – Tashkent high-speed railroad to expand the potential of the transport and transit sector.

The parties agreed to actively promote green energy projects, jointly introduce the latest water-saving technologies, conduct joint forest plantations in the Aral Sea region and work with international donors.

Agreements in the spheres of culture, science and education, as well as healthcare and tourism, were also noted.

“In the current difficult times, culture and spirituality are gaining even greater importance, having a beneficial effect on the minds and hearts of people, especially the younger generation”, Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized.

In this regard, during the talks, an agreement was reached on holding regularly the Year of Uzbekistan in Kazakhstan and the Year of Kazakhstan in Uzbekistan. Next year, the first Youth Congress and the Creative and Scientific Intelligentsia Forum will be organized in Uzbekistan.

It was noted that more than eight hundred thousand ethnic Kazakhs currently live in Uzbekistan. All conditions are created for the development of their national culture, language, traditions. There are about four hundred schools with the Kazakh language of instruction.

The Kazakh National Cultural Center, which has eight regional branches, has been actively operating in Uzbekistan for thirty years.

“We are proud that among our fellow Kazakhs there are those awarded the high title of Hero of Uzbekistan and other state awards, senators and deputies, ministers and generals, heads of large companies”, Shavkat Mirziyoyev said.

The Heads of State agreed to adopt an appropriate program to widely celebrate next year the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.

Noting the interaction at regional and international platforms, the President of Uzbekistan emphasized that today it was possible to form an effective platform for Consultative Meetings of the Heads of State of Central Asia, within the framework of which the ways of comprehensive development of our common home are determined.

The main attention at the talks was paid to the issues of countering the challenges to security and stability in the region, primarily against the background of the situation in neighboring Afghanistan. It was confirmed that the positions of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan completely coincide on this issue.

Uzbekistan supports the initiatives of Kazakhstan within the framework of its chairmanship in the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia, as well as in the Commonwealth of Independent States. Kazakhstan supports Uzbekistan’s chairmanship in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Economic Cooperation Organization.

“During this visit, we signed a solid package of documents. The most important of them is the Declaration of Allied Relations, which testifies to the highest level of trust and partnership, readiness to act together and provide all-round support. We are firmly committed to strengthening centuries-old friendship, good-neighborliness and large-scale cooperation for the prosperity of the two fraternal peoples”, the President of Uzbekistan said.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev expressed satisfaction with the results of the talks, during which an exchange of views took place on a wide range of issues.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev invited the President of Kazakhstan to visit Uzbekistan at a time convenient for him.

* * *

Following the high-level talks, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev met with the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan – Elbasy Nursultan Nazarbayev.

The President of Uzbekistan cordially congratulated him on the First President’s Day, which is celebrated on the first day of December in recognition of the outstanding merits of the founder of independent Kazakhstan.

The Leader of Uzbekistan noted that thanks to the deeply thought-out political course outlined by Nursultan Nazarbayev, fraternal Kazakhstan has achieved tremendous success in all spheres of socio-political and socio-economic life.

The President of Uzbekistan highly appreciated the personal contribution of Elbasy to the development of a strategic partnership between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. The signing of the Declaration on Allied Relations today was a logical continuation of the intensification of contacts.

Issues of bilateral agenda and regional interaction were discussed at the meeting. It was noted that political dialogue should be intensified in Central Asia, a mechanism of Consultative meetings was launched, an atmosphere of friendship and trust was formed.

Nursultan Nazarbayev stressed the importance of the current state visit for further deepening the strategic partnership and alliance between the two countries.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited the Museum of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Nazarbayev's workrooms are preserved in their original form in the museum. In the Majilis Hall, where briefings and meetings with journalists were held, there is an exposition telling about the development of modern Kazakhstan. Many exhibits demonstrate Kazakhstan’s foreign policy ties with foreign partners.

After getting acquainted with the museum, the President of Uzbekistan left a note in the Book of Honored Guests.

* * *

During the state visit of the President of Uzbekistan, a new building of the country’s embassy was opened in the city of Nur-Sultan.

Presidents Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, having cut the symbolic ribbon, solemnly opened a new building of the diplomatic mission of Uzbekistan.

The national anthems of the two countries were played.

The presidents got acquainted with the conditions created at the Embassy.

The modern building was erected by the builders of Uzbekistan. The premises are decorated in the national style.

On the territory of the diplomatic mission, there are the main building, the consular department, a residential building for employees, the residence of the head of the diplomatic mission, a children’s and sports grounds.

Modern conditions have been created in the meeting rooms and conference hall.

The main attention is paid to the effective organization of the work process. Information technologies are widely introduced. The interactive equipment here allows holding virtual talks. For effective consular activities, an electronic queue system has been installed. Visitors can receive the necessary information by interactive means.

The necessary conditions have been created for people with special needs.

Everything in the new building is focused on the quality and efficiency of work aimed at further enhancing the partnership with the brotherly country.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev left a note in the Embassy’s Book of Honorary Guests.

* * *

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, accompanied by the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Askar Mamin, visited the Digital Government Office, located on the territory of the EXPO Business Center in the city of Nur-Sultan.

The office was opened in September this year and includes the National Think Tank, the Digital Transformation Center and the National Project Office.

The Leader of Uzbekistan got acquainted with the capabilities of the situation center. It will have access to all databases and closely interact with the regions, which will allow seeing the real situation online, for example, data on the growth rate of vaccination in the country.

The capabilities of the analytical platform for domestic and foreign trade were demonstrated. With its help, online, you can monitor food prices and generate forecast cost indicators. In addition, projects in the sphere of innovation and the aerospace industry will be launched at the office.

The representative of the office noted the work carried out in Uzbekistan on the development of human capital, the creation of IT parks and training programmers, the digitalization of the public services sector, emphasized that Kazakhstan is also following this path.

The Head of the state emphasized the importance of exchanging experience in these areas, the widespread introduction of artificial intelligence technologies in the process of providing public services, analyzing socio-economic processes and developing solutions to improve the comfort of life.

Thereupon, the state visit of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Kazakhstan has ended.

 

UzA